


Homecoming

by Turq_I



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Future, Family Feels, Flashbacks, Fluff and Angst, Galra Kid AU, Multi, Older Characters, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parenthood, Reunions, Slow Burn, Some Graphic Violence, i wrote this before s5 so it starts after s4, kid AU, like a slow roast kinda slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-12
Updated: 2018-09-30
Packaged: 2019-05-05 16:14:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 29,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14622366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Turq_I/pseuds/Turq_I
Summary: When Keith loses his family and his home, he survives on his own through the harsh universe. Somehow, he finds his own small piece of family and learns to take responsibility for not just himself, but the Galra child who now depends on him. Four years later, he must face his past life again, now as a changed man.





	1. The Thrills of Raising a Child

**Author's Note:**

> This is like. The first fic I've done since 2014. I'm really hoping I won't get burned out on writing this ahah. Anyway, I'll add tags and stuff as needed ((and as things happen in the story)) but I'll also put warnings here. I didn't consider it significant enough to tag? But there is a non-graphic major character death in one flashback and a brief description of a fatal wound in another!  
> Enjoy!  
> ((I am so sorry I posted this like 5 times bc I thought it was broken and then I just. Deleted all of the posts oops.))

The world was bright again. Keith reluctantly dragged himself out of a peaceful sleep when his half-conscious mind noticed the change in brightness - which was coming from, where he guessed, his window. His eyelids felt heavy as he opened and blinked them a few times. He took note of the soft, golden glow reflecting off of the empty, white walls in his tiny bedroom. The tail end of dreams still clung to the back of his mind, but they faded as Keith sat up and violently wiped at his eyes, then his face, then the awful mane of bed hair that would need to be brushed later. He rolled the loose sheets off to the side and stood tall, to the protest of his creaky joints. The stone floor was ice cold underneath his old socks as he shuffled out of his room. The apartment was silent. Keith was the only one up. For now.

 

The apartment smelled stale - like the trash, which hasn’t been taken out in a week. Keith frowned as he passed the offensive object on his way into the kitchen, already making plans to throw it away within the next hour. On the counter sat the alien equivalent of a coffee pot, which Keith still doesn’t entirely trust due to the fact that it periodically makes wheezing and puffing noises, even when its not in use. Keith still reached for his favorite mug on the counter and watched as it filled with the steaming green liquid.

 

Today was an off-day, and Keith intended to fully enjoy his time off from work. He’s very skilled at piloting, as he’s constantly been told, but it’s exhausting doing monotonous deliveries nearly every day. The old couch is so soft that it’s as if his whole body is cradled by it when he finally sat down. It feels nice, he decided. He looked around at the quaint living room. The sunrise casted a strong red and golden glow throughout the room, reflecting off of the glass coffee table in front of the couch, conveniently shining right into Keith’s eyes. He scowled and took a long drink from his mug. It chased away the chill in his body and the sleep from his mind.

 

A noise from the other side of the wall alerted him, and he sighed and gently placed his mug down on the table. Breakfast needed to be made. The vision of a pancake topped with Cassa syrup and Elryk berries crossed Keith’s mind and he already knew what needed to be done before he even reached the kitchen. As quietly as he could, he dragged out pans and alien ingredients - that he only knew vaguely how to use - and fired up the cooker. He’d never admit it, but it was exciting to make pancakes again. Long work hours prevented him from really getting to spend time in the kitchen to make good food. He smiled as he began mixing the ingredients. He knows she’s gonna love this.

 

\---

 

_The world just got so much more complicated again._

 

_Keith feels the sting of angry tears in his eyes and pushes his head further into the wall, furiously trying not to let a single one fall. If that single tear falls, he_ knows _that nothing will be able to stop him from completely breaking down in his old room. He cannot afford to do that right now._

 

_But what else can he do? Apparently the team - Keith’s friends - just doesn’t trust his judgement anymore. If he’s honest with himself, they really shouldn’t trust him. He’s a hot-headed jerk who pushed the team way past their limits - exactly like when he was pursuing Lotor. His anger nearly cost Voltron their alliance with the prince, but it didn’t feel fair. As a leader, he did his best to track down the elusive man and now he’s living on the castleship, claiming to have their best interests at heart._

 

_Keith could feel his whole body trembling. His hands were clenched so tight that his palms burned from where his nails were digging into the skin. It was everything he could do to simply fall to his knees on the floor, forehead still pressed firmly into the wall, which was so, so cold compared to his flushed face._

 

_However, his mind wouldn’t stop whirring with doubts - that he would never be as good as Shiro, who was now somewhere in the distant universe. The gigantic, terrifying universe. The Shiro that had come back to him again was not the same Shiro. Keith knew from the moment they first talked that something just wasn’t_ right _, but he couldn’t deny that he deserved to hear most of the things that clone said to him._

 

_It took every ounce of self-control to drag himself up from the ground and crawl into his old, unused bed. Keith paid no mind to the fact that he was still in the dark undersuit of his Blade armor, instead he clung to the blankets and pillows like a lifeline. The soft fabric under his face quickly became soaked with tears. Gritting his teeth, Keith swallowed the lump in his throat which threatened a loud sob and took a few deep breaths. Minutes passed by before his mind finally felt calm again, now drifting into sleep from the earlier emotional breakdown. Keith’s eyelids felt heavy, and they were closed before he could even notice._

 

\--

 

The aroma of pancakes had no doubt settled throughout the whole apartment by now. Two warm, golden pancakes were stacked onto two separate plates. Keith reached up into a cabinet for Cassa syrup, which tasted nothing like Aunt Jemima’s, but was still just as sweet. He had just started pouring syrup on the smaller pair of pancakes when he heard a door close. Keith straightened and looked over his shoulder towards the open living room. A small, purple head popped out from around the corner, brows scrunched and nose twitching. Once her wide, yellow eyes met Keith’s, her whole face brightened and she dashed to the counter and leaned close into Keith’s space.

 

“Woah, Dad! You made pancakes?!” Although she looked like a goblin fresh from bed - complete with weird mohawk bed-head - Nazta looked absolutely delighted at the idea of pancakes. She flashed a bright, toothy smile up at Keith, who couldn’t help but give a small smile back.

 

“Yeah. I figured we haven’t had these in a while,” he said. He finished pouring the syrup and handed the plate over to Nazta, who was practically bouncing on her feet. She eagerly took it from his hands and ran into the living room. Keith huffed in amusement, grabbed a couple of eating utensils, and followed her trail.

 

She was leaning forward to grab the TV remote from the coffee table when Keith arrived. He yanked her plate away and set it beside her before it could fall to the floor. Finally, she took the remote and it turned on to her favorite channel, one that played shows that Keith usually wasn’t interested in, but would watch with Nazta for her sake. She was immediately transfixed by the colorful characters and idly picked up her plate, then began eating.

 

They stayed like this for a while, eating and watching - or, in Keith’s case, feigning interest in - a cartoon about young superheroes fighting against evil criminals. Keith’s mind began to wander, which he always hated since it left him vulnerable to memories he forcefully shoved to the back of his mind. One of the characters had an infectious laugh that left something sharp in Keith’s chest. Eventually, after the same character makes an unsuccessful flirting attempt, he takes his plate to the kitchen despite having half a pancake left. He dumps the rest into the trash and briskly washes the dishes, carefully keeping his mind off of any thoughts.

 

At some point, Nazta brings her spotless plate - _Where did the syrup go??_ \- to the sink. Keith nearly jumps when she says, “Is something wrong, Dad?”

 

Keith clears his throat and gently sets aside the plate that nearly slipped out of his fingers. “No, no, nothing’s wrong. Are you done already?”

 

“Yeah, Dad, the episode just finished,” she said. Her eyes narrowed just slightly and her mouth turned down into a frown. “Are you _sure_ you’re fine?”

 

Keith sighed softly. It’s hard to hide his emotions while living with someone so perceptive. “I’ll be fine, don’t worry. It’s just the same old stuff, I promise.”

 

Nazta was silent for a second. “You know, I had another nightmare last night. It was kinda the same as the other bad ones, but it wasn’t about any of the sanctuaries. It was like...a new one. A new sanctuary somewhere out in the desert.” She clambered up onto the countertop, which Keith didn’t approve of but didn’t bother getting onto her for it. She continued, “It wasn’t like any of the other ones. They weren’t nearly as nice. We got in trouble with some of them and then they got really mad. I woke up before we got…” She trailed off, but Keith didn’t need to hear any more.

 

“Hey,” He put a hand on her shoulder. “It was just a dream, right? Don’t let it stress you out.” He added a small smile and hoped it would help. She looked back up at him with a soft smile of her own and her shoulders lost some of their tension.

 

“But, you know,” she began, with more strength in her eyes and voice, “you should talk to me, too. We’re a team, like you said.”

 

Keith froze. _This damn, sweet kid_. He leaned back and rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s just dealing with my...y’know...my past stuff.”

 

Nazta subtly, but still visibly, perked up at his mention of his past, which she was always curious about. She opened her mouth, then closed it, then opened it again with wider, more pleading eyes. “Can you tell me about it this time, please?”

 

Keith hated dodging her innocent questions like this, he really did, but it just wasn’t something you could easily tell anyone, much less your own daughter. Up until this point, he had explained very few details. She knows that he grew up on Earth and became a very talented pilot there, she knows he was involved in secret stuff as a rebel, and she knows that he’s a very good fighter. There’s no doubt in his mind that she’s got theories about his past work, but it’s probably far off the mark. How does he explain everything that he’s seen to a child like Nazta?

 

With a soft sigh, Keith leaned back against the counter and traced the patterns of the kitchen tiles with his eyes. A part of him desperately wanted to tell her, but it was...difficult. Not everything was pleasant to remember and he had so many regrets. It was frustrating thinking of everything he could’ve done better - smarter, less impatient too. Keith clenched his fists and pushed off of the counter and stared at the cabinet just next to Nazta, who was looking a little lost at this point.

 

“Listen, I -” _No, too angry._ He cleared his throat. “...I would love to be able to talk about it someday, but today it’s...it’s not that day. I promise I won’t keep things from you forever but just -” He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Just bear with me. Please.” He finally looked her in the eye, which wasn’t a good idea because a cold ball of guilt settled firmly in his stomach at her disappointed face. She nodded slowly and slid off the counter.

 

Keith caved. “Hey, we can go shopping later. I mean, if you want.” Nazta looked up again and she smiled with a big toothy grin.

 

“Of course!”

 

\--

Shopping with Nazta usually always meant that Keith would spend way more money than he should’ve. She was still a child, which meant she harbored intense curiosity and enthusiasm for toys and clothes. Today was no exception - she wore a bright smile along with a bright floral romper and she was buzzing with excitement.

 

Keith couldn’t get her out of the apartment fast enough and ran down the stairs leading to the sparkling, chrome lobby. They hurried out the door and immediately merged into the lanes of people walking down the sidewalk. Although Keith had never been to New York City, he’d like to compare Itia to it. It was a very important city on this planet, acting as a main leader in space communications and business, which attracted very large crowds in which a child could easily get lost in. Keith had quickly implemented a policy within their first few days of living in Itia: Stay close to eachother at all times. Unfortunately, this meant that any time Nazta found something that interested her, she would grab Keith by the wrist and _drag_ him wherever she wanted to go.

 

They reached a crossing at the end of the noisy street and waited for the hoverbikes to receive the signal to stop. When the light flashed, they made a beeline for the weird smoothie shop at the corner that Keith had grown surprisingly fond of. The old aliens running the place were friendly and very good at remembering customers.

 

Sure enough, they walked in and Nazta called out a greeting in Iasdalaric to the large blue alien at the register. He turned to them and his eyes flashed red and gold and he waved a long limb in their direction. Nazta spent a few minutes talking with the alien and picking up on more of his language before Keith placed their order. Just a few minutes later and they got two large green-and-purple smoothies topped with candy. After that, they made a plan to visit all their favorite shops in the area.

 

\--

 

_Everyone seems to trust Lotor. Everyone except for Keith, that is. Call it petty, but he still couldn’t forgive Lotor for his pursuit of the team in Shiro’s absence. Not to mention that he had this almost smug atmosphere surrounding him. It was just something about him that Keith couldn’t help but constantly be on edge any time they were in the same room. He’d received multiple curt warning glares from Allura from the past few days alone. He can’t bring himself to care._

 

_However, when Lotor announces that he possibly knows extra details about project Kuron, Keith is ashamedly, furiously attentive to his every word. Lotor explains that the real Shiro is likely being held captive by the witch, Haggar. He gives the paladins a likely place and Allura and Coran head up to the holodeck to check coordinates. A few hours later, as Keith is laying mindlessly in his room, Allura calls for a meeting. Lotor’s information checks out and Keith swallows the bitterness in his mouth as he dons the black paladin armor again._

 

_When they arrive on the mountainous planet, they scan for important landmarks. Pidge reports a giant facility underneath a large cliff just a few miles away and they cautiously fly towards it. Entry into the facility was easier than they expected, with very few guards at the entrances. They all thoroughly search the halls and rooms, finding horrifying mutated prisoners in a few rooms, some of which had to be put down. They continued on. Finally, Pidge and Hunk report a large room full of testing equipment and they required back-up. Keith couldn’t run fast enough, too pumped full of adrenaline to think of anything else._

 

_When he arrives, it only takes a second of peeking into the room before he realizes that Shiro is in there. He’s floating in a giant tube at the end of the room, surrounded by beeping machines and druids shuffling around tables. Suddenly, Keith can’t control himself and flings himself forward only to be stopped short by large, strong arms. Hunk’s voice reaches his ear in a harsh whisper telling him they needed a plan first._

 

_So Allura arrives and helps form a plan while Keith’s skin is practically_ itching _to run in there and cut down anyone who tried to stop him from getting to Shiro. He ignores the odd looks sent in his direction. He’s probably scowling. He finds that he really doesn’t care._

 

_It feels like an eternity later when Allura gives Pidge the go-ahead to fire her grappling hook, which sends her zipping up to a beam in the ceiling. Lance and Hunk immediately start covering her and Keith watches as they hit multiple druids. Life feels like a blur around him as he finally pushes ahead to finish off the remaining druids. He barely dodges spells and curses and his hands are shaking by the time the last druid falls. All is silent before Pidge lands on top of the tube at the end of the room and prepares to open it._

 

_Keith gets to watch in horror as a beam of crackling dark lightning hits her dead-on, enveloping her entire body immediately. She seizes and slides off of the tube and the thud of her armor clangs against the cold floor echoes like an explosion. Distantly, the rest of the team shouts, but Keith’s eyes slide over to the witch whose arm is still outstretched._

 

_Everything becomes like static after that. Keith vaguely remembers throwing his sword in Haggar’s direction, she vanishes with a puff of smoke and reappears next to Keith. He lands hard on his ass and she’s gone again before he can get up. The giant tube begins to shudder, then shatters, and glass shards embed themselves in Keith’s arm. Shiro lies in a heap on the ground just a few feet in front of him, hacking and coughing. For a second, everything seems a bit brighter, and something like hope springs to life in his chest._

 

_And then the witch hauls Shiro up by the back of his neck and Keith chokes as he can see her claws digging into his skin. She speaks with a snarl in her lips, but Keith barely registers it. He can only see red, red, red. So he lunges forward, with nothing but his fists to fight, and the witch dodges and tightens her grip on Shiro. At this point, his eyes are open and so wide with fear. His wet, disheveled hair falls into his eyes but Keith still manages to get a clear view._

 

_He hears Allura’s sharp voice command him to stay put and he obeys for once, now so scared himself. He’s at the witch’s feet, unarmed, and worsening a hostage situation. He’s at least stable enough to realize how_ screwed _he is._

 

_Haggar and Allura exchange tense words, but their positions never change. All weapons are trained on the witch and her nails still dig bloody marks into Shiro’s neck. It seems to stay like this forever. Keith almost wishes it did. Instead, the universe speeds up as Haggar says the mission has failed anyway, and she turns menacingly to the man in her hand as Allura gives the order to fire. She squeezes with almost impossible strength and Shiro makes a single choked sound before he simply...poofs. His body disintegrates and Keith’s entire world shatters. He ducks under his arm as the gunfire soars over his head._

 

_It stops at some point. Keith realizes he’s sobbing when people are shaking him. He’s already shaking. They drag him back to the lions at some point too, but he can’t remember how he got there until Black lands in the hangar and orders him to get out. Keith stumbles out of the lion and makes a dash to his room. He sleeps at some point._

 

_He gets called to a meeting after what feels like a few days after the...incident. Lotor is at that meeting, unchained and completely free. Keith lasts long enough until Allura explains that he’s officially joining the team. Lotor offers his condolences and Keith lunges forward, fist entirely ready. He gets dragged out kicking and screaming._

 

_He’s face-to-face with an angry Allura and concerned Lance and Hunk. Allura rips him a new one, but Keith pushes away his tears long enough to match her shouting. Fury burns in her eyes and burns up Keith’s entire body, but he doesn’t back down. He doesn’t feel like he can at this point. Lance and Hunk try to intervene but they shrink back when they face the combined anger of Allura and Keith. Finally, Keith stands up and leaves, Allura cursing him to Hell and back._

 

_The next day, Keith packs what little he has and leaves for the Blade._

 

_\--_

 

As usual, they spend the whole day shopping. They both spent eternities inside the clothing stores due to the fact that their wardrobes were suffering from outdated or worn clothes. Nazta insisted on buying decorations for the apartment, expaining that it would “make things look nice”. Keith admitted to himself that he was, in fact, getting tired of staring at a blank wall first thing in the morning. He ended up getting the least unsettling painting, which was some sort of brightly-colored fruit.

 

Despite the ungodly amount of money spent, Keith really did have a good time. He especially loved the walk home this evening. His feet were sore, but the sunset glowed beautiful red and indigo off of the windows and set his mind at ease. Beside him, Nazta was swinging her bags on her arms and humming softly. The streets were beginning to quiet down now that rush hour ended and the two passed easily through the surrounding groups of people.

 

Nazta’s observant eyes caught immediately onto something and Keith could tell the moment she saw it because her entire body perked up. She ran forward before Keith could say anything. Luckily, he maintained line of sight as she weaved through people to a crossing sign at down the sidewalk, where a shiny poster reflected the bright colors of the sunset. As he crossed the distance to it, his eyes finally recognized the image printed on the poster. And it was like being dunked in a tub of ice water.

 

He stopped in front of it and Nazta looked up at him with an expression of pure excitement. He knew just how much she loved Voltron. She would remain glued to the TV whenever the news announced more successful missions and gains in allies. Hell, she even convinced Keith to buy her a Voltron action figure one time. But this? This was a shiny foil poster with the giant robot in a proud pose, announcing that there would be a parade upon their arrival. In two days.

 

Nazta broke him out of his daze with a sharp tug on his arm. He looked down at her confused face and his mind immediately began making a thousand excuses for his weird behaviour. Fortunately, another voice behind him stole the girl’s attention.

 

“It’s exciting isn’t it? I cannot believe Voltron is coming to Itia!” A tall, slender alien and their child struck up a short conversation with Nazta and Keith allowed himself some time to think. Nazta obviously wanted to go, and she would be devastated if she missed out on the opportunity to see Voltron in person. On the other hand...hoo boy.

 

All too soon, the conversation ended and Nazta gave him a look and they started walking again. The path was familiar. It should’ve felt comforting again, coming home. Instead, Keith’s mind was furiously debating on whether he could deal with seeing his old teammates again or not. And in the midst of a full-on war with himself, he barely noticed the very concerned glances Nazta shot him over her shoulder.

 

Soon enough, they were walking through the doors of the lobby and Keith breathed in the smell of food coming from the dining hall way down the hall to his left. The alien at the front desk greeted them with a grin as they walked past on their way to the elevator. The ride up the many floors was silent, almost stifling, and Keith made a conscious effort not to catch his daughter’s eye in the reflection on the chrome walls.

 

They made it into their apartment and Nazta immediately went to her room to throw her stuff down. Keith turned on all the lights and set his stuff on the coffee table and couch. He glanced outside the large windows in the living room to the deep red sky. The sun could still be seen just over the horizon, but the stars were already coming out. This planet also had a very far-off red moon that could be seen usually every night. Right now it was like a circle of flame in the sky as the last crimson light reflected off of it.

 

His skygazing was very suddenly interrupted by a small, purple child ramming into his side and latching onto his waist. All of the air in his lungs was let out in a _whoof_. Keith could barely take a breath as Nazta squeezed him so hard it actually hurt to move.

 

“Thanks for the shopping,” Nazta mumbled into Keith’s shirt. He smirked and ruffled her mohawk hair and she leapt back with a snarl. She smoothed down her fluffy hair and the smile returned to her face. “Seriously, thanks. I had fun.”

 

Keith’s heart swelled with happiness. “Yeah, no problem.” After that, Nazta ran off to her room and Keith retreated to his to take a shower.

 

He now had plenty of time to think on his own, and his mind was racing with memories - some happier, some more painful. He scowled as he remembered his last argument with the team. _They didn’t deserve that._ Despite the time that has gone by, Keith still felt deep remorse for his actions, particularly because now he could recognize every chance he could’ve taken to do better. He’s tried his best to accept that he was young and so very dumb and reckless, but he’d also do anything to make it up to them some day.

 

When he stepped out of the shower, Keith looked at himself in the mirror and tried to imagine himself 4 years younger - with his mullet, constant scowl, and a fresh scar on his shoulder. Now, his hair fell evenly to his shoulders in a messy mane and no long bangs framed his face. And then there was the marking. A long purple stripe laid on his skin spanning from his cheek, down the side of his neck, to just over his collarbone. Right next to it sat the old, nasty scar on his right shoulder from his trial with the Blade. These odd marks on his skin used to freak him out, but he treated them just like anything else that was “strange” about him: He learned to deal with it.

 

After quickly brushing his teeth, Keith belly-flopped onto his bed and threw the sheets over himself. His body felt like lead and he sunk face-first into the soft pillow and mattress. Around him, the room was quiet and still. His mind was finally settling. Keith closed his eyes and sighed, willing himself to slip into deep sleep.

  


\--

 

_Keith stifled his shame as he came crawling back to Kolivan with all of his belongings in a single backpack strung across his shoulder. Of course, Kolivan regarded him with a cold, business-like attitude and reassigned Keith his old room. As he walked down the dark halls, he thought that maybe he could get used to this again._

 

_As usual, training was hell. He woke to a bitter soup and then all the newer recruits are ushered off to training. Keith resented the fact that he was assigned as a base level recruit, but then nearly got his ass handed to him later by the training instructor. It was a harsh reminder that Keith had gotten soft during his break with Voltron. He went to the medbay later with multiple stinging cuts, scrapes, and bruises. The next few days ultimately went much the same way. It took a week of being idle before Keith got his chance to fight again._

 

_A distant Blade base was under attack and required immediate back-up. A group of the best recruits were chosen to flank the main forces as they infiltrated the base. Keith brooded in the corner of the ship on the way there and it was all he could do to appear calm when his anxiety was rising with every minute. When the ship opened for them to drop down, Keith was the last one to leave. As soon as his feet hit the ground, he followed the lead of his allies and cut down anyone in their path. Everything passed in a blur._

 

_The base ended up being a lost cause. If the Galran troops didn’t cause enough damage, the order to demolish the base caused the rest of it. Everything was set to flame and Keith watched in numb horror as he clung to the rope lifting him back into the ship. He couldn’t count how many soldiers he killed nor how many Blade members he saw fallen all around him. He kept as many blades as he could collect in his belt. When the ship took off again, it was a lot emptier and the sounds of muffled sobbing could be heard in the corner where two tailed aliens sat with their backs turned. Keith slumped against the wall and idly cleaned his knife of the still warm blood smeared on it._

 

_One eternity later, Keith found himself lying in bed, stripped of his suit. In a rare moment of vulnerability, he allowed himself to scream and cry into his thick pillow, underneath which rested his dormant knife. The next morning brought a migraine and sore eyes._

 

_\--_

 

A flash of black magic towards him woke Keith up with a gasp. Strands of hair clung to his sweaty face. He sat for a few minutes, steadying his erratic heartbeat and shallow breaths. Eventually, he found the strength to stand and trudge to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, he found that bags had returned underneath his eyes and his pupils were still contracted in small dots. After that, he went about his morning routine.

 

The apartment was chilly when he finally emerged into the living room. A scarlet sunrise shined through the curtains and set the whole room ablaze. He stalked into the kitchen and jumped when he found Nazta sitting on the counter, swinging her feet back and forth, and eating a week-old pastry from the fridge. She giggled and wiped the crumbs from her mouth, then slid down.

 

“Good morning, Dad!” She grinned a toothy grin and Keith found himself just a little too tired to respond with much more than a ruffle to her messy hair. She growled indignantly as she fixed it again and that brought a smirk to Keith’s face. He grabbed his favorite mug from the top cabinet and within five minutes was settling down on the couch with warm coffee in his palms. Nazta flopped down next to him and was buzzing with an unusual amount of energy. Her foot shook rapidly and Keith frowned as it sloshed the drink in his mug. Instead of commenting on it, he turned on the TV and they stayed there for nearly an hour before Nazta’s stomach growled loudly and Keith went into the kitchen to make breakfast.

 

Half an hour later, Nazta wandered into the kitchen with hungry eyes as she smelled cooking meat and eggs. She walked up to the stove, where Keith was carefully flipping the nearly-done patties of weird, red alien meat.

 

“Can I help?” she offered. Keith looked down at her curious face and smiled.

 

“Sorry kid, I’m almost done,” he explained.

 

She pouted slightly, but ran to the fridge to get a drink. It was some sort of soda - which Keith didn’t entirely approve of, but she enjoyed it too much for him to berate her for it - and she opened it and took a long swig from it. Keith turned back to the meat and transferred it over to the plates with perfectly cooked eggs on them.

 

Nazta snatched hers off the counter with a cackle and sped off towards the living room. Keith whipped around and barked, “Don’t spill that!” Without a reply, he took his plate and joined her, where she was already digging into her meal. Keith raised an eyebrow as he sat next to her.

 

“Okay, what are you so excited about?” It came out a little more harsh than Keith intended and he mentally chided himself until Nazta whipped her head towards him with a grin. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but Keith raised a finger. “Chew and swallow first.”

 

“Do you remember that poster from yesterday?!” She exclaimed after forcefully swallowing.

 

He did, in fact, remember. “What about it?”

 

Nazta gave him a blank look, which was almost immediately replaced by another grin. “Voltron is gonna be here! Tomorrow!”

 

Keith didn’t really mean to be rude, but his face just moved on its own sometimes. He turned away and stuffed his face with egg. Nazta huffed beside him.

 

“Oh, come on, Dad! It’s Voltron! How often am I going to see the Defender of the Universe in my life?” She said, very much rhetorically. Keith’s mind still commented, _I hope you never have to._ Instead, he sighed and set his plate down on the coffee table. He turned to his daughter, who sensed the sudden change in mood and also set her plate down.

 

It took him a long moment of staring at the couch to find what he wanted to say. “I’ll go take you to see...Voltron. If you really want to.” Keith said slowly.

 

Nazta did a silent fist pump and her eyes were practically glowing with excitement. As she held his carefully neutral gaze, her smile faltered.

 

“Is something wrong?” She cocked her head.

 

“...No,” Keith supplied very unconvincingly.

 

“Something’s wrong. Actually, something has been weird about you lately. You still won’t talk to me and you’re being,” Nazta gestured vaguely to his general area. “Being _weird_. What’s wrong?”

 

Keith grimaced at the determination in her voice, and knew he had to say something convincing. He turned his head away from her steely gaze. “It’s just...I’ve been thinking about the sanctuaries and uh...life back on Earth a lot lately. It’s gotten me down. More than I expected, at least.” He turned back to see her dubious expression.

 

“No, that can’t be it. You usually love talking about Earth with me. And I understand the sanctuary stuff, so it couldn’t be that hard to share with me, could it?” Nazta leaned back with a pout. “Why don’t you like talking to me about this stuff anymore?”

 

Keith frowned. “Some things I just need to keep private, Nazta. Can we leave it at that?” Nazta looked up under her furrowed brows and crossed her arms.

 

“You said that we can talk to each other about important stuff. You’ve been acting weird and I wanna know what’s wrong but you won’t talk.” She turned her head away from him and folded in on herself. Keith felt like he could die right there.

 

“Nazta it’s not...it’s not that I don’t,” Keith trailed off. She only withdrew further. He sighed. There was only one way to fix this. “Alright...I’ll talk.”

 

Nazta glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. She moved until her back was resting on the arm of the couch. She cornered him with an expectant stare.

 

Keith steeled himself. “I have...some problems...with Voltron.”

 

“Wait, what do you mean? You don’t hate them do you?” Nazta’s brows shot up.

 

“No! No no no, it’s not like that,” Keith scrambled. “Just, listen to me. I’ve had some... issues, I guess, with them in the past. It was my fault. They were good people and it was...a stressful situation, and I messed things up. So, I guess it’s been weighing on my mind a lot more lately. It happened years ago, but…” Keith grabbed the fabric of his pajama pants and bit his chapped lip as he trailed off. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Nazta nod.

 

“I get it. Things from years ago still get to me sometimes, too,” She paused. “But what did you do?” Her eyes were carefully curious.

 

“That’s…” Keith leaned back and rubbed at the back of his neck. “That’s a little too personal. I’m sorry.”

 

Nazta’s eyebrows dropped with disappointment. She looked away and nodded. “Alright. I understand.” Then she looked up at Keith with a softer face. “Thanks for at least telling me that. I hope it...helped?”

 

Keith huffed with a smile. “Yeah, it kinda did. Thanks Nazta.” He paused before he tentatively opened his arms. The girl grinned widely before she dove in at full speed for a bear hug. Keith chuckled with the little bit of air he had left in his lungs and squeezed her back.

  


\--

 

_Keith’s muscles_ ached _. The Blade had been run ragged lately. The higher-ups were fussing over gathering intel and protecting their bases, which put Keith into a lot of missions. He had to be put into a healing pod twice in one week. To put it into perspective - they only used those on the dying. Though his wounds were almost fully healed, Keith still felt like a corpse when he finally reached his bed every night._

 

_He tried his best to focus on nothing but the missions. He shoved aside every obnoxious, unimportant emotion and applied all of himself to the swing of his blade. Members died nearly every day, but they started seeming more like numbers than names. Keith had even seen a few of his team members fall around him, but it couldn’t have prepared him for holding one of them in his arms. It was an accident, really. They took the shot aimed for Keith and as they stumbled backwards, he gripped them by the armpits. There was a grisly hole in their chest that was already bleeding rapidly. Their breath became ragged and it echoed inside their mask. Keith numbly lowered them both onto the ground and stayed there and held his team member’s hand until it went limp._

 

_It was hours before Keith was able to get back to his room, but when he did, the dam burst wide open. He slid down the door and curled himself into a ball, then sobbed harder than he ever had. He’s fairly sure that he caused a bald spot and a few more scars from that._

 

_That was one of the first times he had really let himself miss Voltron since he left. He cried for Shiro, his own stupidity, and for all the people who had died within the past month. At some point, sleep caught up to him and he almost slept through training. He got up and everything in his body ached, especially his head. Unfortunately, Kolivan chose that day to observe the new recruits. Keith could feel his gaze from across the room, watching every sluggish dodge and half-hearted attack. Sure enough, the commander pulled him aside and Keith tasted blood with how hard he bit down on his tongue as he was berated. After everyone else left, he spent hours punching at the training dummies. He didn’t get a lot of sleep that night._

 

_A few days later, when things were finally starting to calm down, Keith was visited by Kolivan. He had been hand-picked for a mission to hijack a Galra supply station. Before he left, Kolivan gave him his best “don’t mess this up” glare and Keith really wanted to punch something._

 

_They left the next day. The dropship was full of members, new and experienced alike. The plan was simple: infiltrate the main base, disrupt the docking bays so the ships were stuck, then sabotage the trapped ships. A specially trained group would find the control room and steal intel. Keith was assigned to take out the ships. As the ship flew closer and closer, he steadied himself and focused on nothing but the blade in his hand. The hatch opened and the soldiers streamed from the ship like insects._

 

_The guards at the entrances were easy to take out, and no alarms were sounded. They pressed on. Kolivan lead the group to the docking bay, where guards and supply managers bustled around. Storage supplies littered the ground and the workers robotically loaded the ships with cargo. Kolivan hissed, then immediately scouted out quick routes to the ships to avoid engaging with so many enemies. They got their opportunity when the large doors started shutting with echoing clanks and screeches. All heads turned frantically to the doors, then to the control room where the distant shadows of Blade members could be seen._

 

_All hell broke loose. Kolivan instructed the group to attack and guards before they could reach the room. The element of surprise worked amazingly well for about ten seconds before bullets and lasers were rapid firing in all directions. Keith heard more than felt the sizzle of a hit on his shoulder before he sunk his active blade into the skull of a guard. After that, it was nothing but a blur until he stood at the open door to the control room. He sprinted inside and stopped just at the corner that would turn into the room. Sounds of fighting reached his ears. With deadly accuracy, he turned the corner and flung his blade into the back of a guard. They fell immediately._

 

_Multiple members had been injured and one laid suspiciously still. The remaining members gathered themselves and began messing with the tech. One gave a dismissing nod to Keith and he then left the room, hurrying back to assess the chaos outside. He had barely made it out of the door before he was roughly pulled aside. He was a split second away from stabbing Kolivan before his mind caught up. Kolivan’s mask faded and he looked_ pissed.

 

_Their voices carried through the significantly quieter bay and Keith tried shoving himself away multiple times only to be held firmly in place by the much stronger man. Eventually a nervous member approached the two and informed Kolivan that reinforcements would be arriving soon. Kolivan huffed, then barked orders to disable the ships as he ran to the nearest one. Keith stood there, fists shaking, until he pelted to the farthest one along with a pair of other members._

 

_Once inside, it was a mess of control panels and loose wires. The alien next to him make a snarky comment about terrible design and Keith ignored it before he could laugh. Instead, he activated his blade and sunk it deep into the main control panel. A shower of sparks flew up and soon flames were licking the edge of the cut. Keith yanked his hand back and motioned for the other two to leave. As they exited, he was satisfied to see small flames in the cockpit._

 

_Before everyone could meet up again at the exit, an explosion reverberated throughout the room. All heads whipped around to the cargo ship in the back, half of which was now covered in flame. Blade members sprinted out of their ships and the large figure of their commander stormed over to the waiting group by the doors. Before he could say anything, Keith took down his hood, looked Kolivan in the eye, and confessed. He could practically feel the fury rolling off of the man’s large figure._

 

_He said nothing, just motioned for them to make their exit. They sprinted down the long hallways silently. They took out more sentries and guards before they emerged out of the entire building. Kolivan summoned the dropships again and they only waited a minute before the loud engines sounded overhead and ropes dropped down._

 

_The ride back was thick with tension. Kolivan purposefully talked with the pilots instead of conversing with the members, which was fine, because none of them seemed to be in a talking mood. Keith slumped against the wall, cleaning his knife. He ran his fingers down the minute scratches and gazed at his dull reflection. Things didn’t look good._

 

_When they arrived at the base, Keith was allowed to go straight to his room. He got a few hours of sleep before a loud knock at the door sent him scrambling to open it. Kolivan’s scowl and a small device greeted him. He took the device, which lit up with all of his information as well as coordinates. Kolivan explained that he would take a pod to a sanctuary and would not return to the Blade. Then, he opened his hand for Keith’s knife. Keith’s refusal was short-lived as it was wrestled from his grip. He was just above begging to get it back, but Kolivan ignored his cries. Guards took him by the arms and he was led to the pods._

 

_He climbed into the cramped pod with the pilot and a guard. He sat on the ground, choking back tears. The guard at least regarded him with pity. Without a sure way to tell time, it felt like an eternity before the view of the yellow atmosphere filled the view of the cockpit. Keith wrinkled his nose as he vaguely smelled sulfur. When they touched down, The guard forced him up and escorted him to the sign-in desk. A weary-looking alien gave him a sympathetic smile and asked for his name._


	2. Familiar Faces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no excuses for how long it took to write another chapter, it was mostly laziness. I'm still p invested in this story, though!  
> Let me know if there are any spelling/grammar errors!  
> There aren't any warnings for this chapter!

Another bright sunrise shone through Keith’s bedroom window, rousing him from a peaceful slumber. He managed to get out of bed, pour himself some coffee, and then sit on the couch before he realized what day it was. He sighed deeply and focused on the red and gold glow that was spreading throughout the quiet room. Today would be an extra day off of work due to the parade, so Keith really had no excuse not to take her.

 

Last night, he had thought about some things. It wasn’t very pleasant bringing forth all of the memories he had tried to forget, but it helped him reach some conclusions. He regretted the way he treated his old teammates. It was like they always said: he was too impulsive. Even now, he would struggle sometimes. However, raising a child had opened his eyes to many of his flaws, and he forced himself to become someone better - not just for himself, but for his daughter as well.

 

One question kept him up through that long night: What would they think of him now? It had been about four years since he left and the idea of meeting his old teammates filled him with a strange sense of anxiety. There was no doubt that they had changed as well. And maybe four years was long enough to forgive and forget past mistakes. That was the hope Keith was riding on when he finally reached a conclusion: Though he may not even meet with them personally, he was sure it would provide some closure. Plus, he’d make sure Nazta at least got a good look at the robots, the castle, and the Paladins - no matter what. Who was he to deny her the opportunity to see her heroes?

Keith glanced around the rapidly lightening room and quickly downed the last of his now luke-warm coffee. He rushed to put it in the sink, then went to gently knock on Nazta’s door, which was covered in stickers of flowers and animals. He called out, “Wake up, Nazta! We have a busy day today!” and immediately heard a startled yelp and the shuffling of sheets. He chuckled and backed off, returning to his own room to change.

 

In all his life, Keith hardly had any trouble deciding what to wear. Some people didn’t appreciate his lack of attention to appearance, but it hardly mattered for Keith’s lifestyle. Survival was usually more important than clothing. Now, however, he spent ten minutes just trying to decide which shirt would be more presentable. Clothes were strewn across the bed, including a red tunic that he loved wearing around the house, but it had no sleeves and was too baggy. There was also a curve-hugging black shirt, a gift from a local tailor, but he wore it very few times out of self-consciousness. Eventually, Keith just picked a gray and black wrapped shirt and quickly tugged on a pair of black pants. In the bathroom, he attempted to smooth down his hair as best as possible. When that failed, he pulled half of it into a ponytail, leaving the more wavy bottom half loose. Finally satisfied with his appearance, Keith gave himself a pep-talk for a few minutes in front of the mirror. Though his veins felt like they were on fire, it was quickly becoming a more excited, anticipatory kind of fire.

 

A loud knocking on his bedroom door nearly startled all the eager energy out of Keith’s body. Nazta’s impatient calling alerted Keith to the time, and he rushed out of the room to meet her. She trailed like a shadow as the man stumbled around the apartment for last-minute essentials - ID, money, and the Voltron figure that Nazta  _ insisted _ they should bring to show support. After one last glance inside the apartment, they rushed down the hall to the elevator. Keith worried for the floor once they were inside due to Nazta’s furiously tapping foot. Loud chatter surprised them once the doors finally opened. Aliens were flitting around, laughing and whispering excitedly. The name of Voltron floated like an echo around the room. Keith clutched Nazta’s shoulder, making sure they both wouldn’t get lost.

 

Stepping outside was hardly any better. The sidewalks and streets moved like swarming insects. Fortunately, the crowds seemed to be moving in one direction - to the city avenue. As soon as Keith found an opening, the two joined the stream of people. The excitement could be felt in the air, light-hearted and expectant. Keith found himself smiling. Street vendors took full advantage of the atmosphere, offering Voltron merch, grilled food, or little souvenirs of Itia. Surprisingly, Nazta paid no attention to the special wares and prices ringing out all around them. Her eyes were focused entirely forward and her hand diligently clutched Keith’s arm.

 

They weaved through the crowd as quickly as possible, and ended up at the city avenue within fifteen minutes. High-rising glass buildings overlooked the large street, the sides of which were rippling with the eager population gathered. The avenue stretched from the very outskirts of the city straight to the city hall. It was traditionally used to welcome foreign ambassadors, traders, and other dignitaries. It would be put to use in much the same way that day.

 

A frustrated groan startled Keith back to the present - in which Nazta was trying to push closer to the street for a better view, but was only half the height of nearly everyone around her. Keith thought for a second before kneeling down and beckoning the girl to climb onto his shoulders. He realized that she was much lankier and heavier than he had previously thought, but managed to keep them both upright. Holding tight onto her legs, Keith pushed forward, mumbling “excuse me” in at least six different languages before they finally reached the street. Sturdy, levitating rails held them back, but that didn’t bother either of them. Carefully, Nazta slipped off of his back and shuffled to stand beside him. Once again, she clutched his arm as they were jostled by people all around. It wasn’t too hot this early in the morning, but Keith got the feeling that he’d be sweating fairly soon. And just like the rest of the crowd, they waited.

 

\--

_ After spending an hour undergoing health scans and waiting on files, Keith was finally registered as a refugee at the  _ Xarna-X-1M  _ sanctuary. The same weary-looking secretary gave him the keycard to his lot and sent him on his way. This planet was mostly red and two bright orange suns burned in the light purple sky. Keith shielded his eyes to see the numbers on each house he passed. After what felt like half an hour searching, he stumbled upon the square stone hut at the end of a long street, which wasn’t too far from the sanctuary’s center. At the door, he swiped the keycard in a chip reader and it unlocked with a  _ click!

 

_ Keith warily opened the door and immediately noticed that the simplicity extended to the interior of the hut. The door directly opened to a modest living room with a small, cream-colored couch and coffee table sitting in the center. A kitchen - or what appeared to be one - connected directly to the living room, complete with strange appliances that Keith knew he would need to figure out later. A thin wall divided the hut to his right, and an open doorway allowed a glimpse into the bedroom. Glancing around, he noticed a few light fixtures, but had no idea how to turn them on. Instead of trying to figure out, he trudged over to the couch and immediately flopped onto it. The arms dug into his neck and knees, but it was just a small annoyance. _

 

_ The only belongings Keith managed to bring with him was his Blade suit, his Earth clothes - which he was currently wearing, and the tablet that he received at the front desk. It contained information about his health and his body’s needs. The secretary also mentioned it would provide information to aid him as he lived in the sanctuary. He tapped a button on the bottom of the screen, and it flickered to life in a bright blue glow. Keith squinted at the sudden brightness but began to navigate through the files. He half an hour just reading through the introductory files, which included the daily schedule. The final meal before the first sundown would begin in three Earth hours. Keith deactivated the little piece of technology and tossed it to the coffee table. _

 

_ Though the couch wasn’t the most comfortable thing to sleep on, Keith found himself drifting off after a while. He burrowed his face into the arm and curled up on the firm cushions.  Golden rays of sunlight glowed through the windows and caught on settling dust particles. Eventually, he dozed off, and dreams captured the sleeping boy’s mind. _

 

\--

To say that Nazta was excited was an understatement. Frankly, Keith was impressed with how well she was keeping herself together. A whisper would ripple amongst the surrounding people and her pointed ears would perk up and standing still would suddenly become too difficult. Rumors had been passed within the past few minutes that the lions had emerged from their hangars. Keith’s anxiety was gnawing at his stomach, but the excitement in his chest wasn’t swayed. He caught himself frequently scanning the sky, but didn’t feel so out of place at that moment.

 

Far down the avenue, a cacophony of cheers and roars and calls alerted everyone that the lions had officially been spotted. Cheers rose from all around and limbs were flying everywhere. Keith hastily beckoned Nazta to climb on his shoulders again and she was barely secure before she was wiggling and shouting.

 

“Dad! Look! There they are! I can see the black lion!!”

 

Keith barely heard her cries over the uproar, but it didn’t matter for long. Peering through the shifting of limbs leaning into the streets, he could glimpse the bright flashes of metal far down the avenue. They must have landed.

Another round of whoops and cheers went up and Keith had no idea what was happening. Nazta was babbling above him and he was just focusing on keeping both of their balances as they were shoved from all sides. Not a minute later, his heart leapt in his throat as he saw the first paladin. It was Allura, in all of her composed grace. Her hair was pulled in a bun and a gleaming crown sat on her head. She proudly wore the armor of the Black Paladin and her smile was polite, yet warm. At her side, his arm looped with hers, was Lotor. He was similarly dressed in purple armor and his hair flowed freely behind him. He also wore a much more gnarly crown, but his whole demeanor was relaxed and his smile was friendly. Rushing from the opposite side of the street from Keith, a nimble figure dressed in green armor ran by, slapping the outstretched limbs as she went. Pidge’s long hair was pulled in a ponytail and she was grinning from ear-to-ear. Matt wasn’t far behind. He smacked each offered limb - though much softer - and Keith could see his laughter despite the distance.

 

Keith’s mind was racing. No one had reached their side yet. Fortunately, he got the answers he wasn’t even looking for when he heard a familiar, enthusiastic voice quickly approaching. From his vantage point, Keith could just barely see limbs retracting, indicating that someone was coming down their side - and very quickly. He saw the flash of a gloved hand and blue-and-white armor.

 

“LANCE!”

 

Half a second later, Keith regretted the volume of his voice. He could see many people cringing around him, including the man that had just frozen in front of him. Really though, he didn’t dwell on it, because he and Lance had made eye contact and he could see the  _ recognition  _ in those blue eyes. His hands reached out to high-five Nazta’s outstretched palms. Then, it was like an extra sun burst into life at the exact moment when a grin split across Lance’s face.

 

“Oh my god...Keith?! Dude, is that actually you?!”

 

Keith’s entire body was weightless. “Y-yeah, it’s - uh - it’s me!” The grin was highly contagious at that point.

 

Limbs once again swarmed towards Lance and his grin faltered into something more panicked as he stumbled backwards. Keith’s stomach clenched, but then their eyes met again. 

 

Lance cupped a hand around his mouth. “Meet me outside the city hall, okay? Please do that, I’ll try to get to you in about - uh - in an hour!!” Keith nodded furiously, almost forgetting there was a child clinging to his shoulders. Then, Lance was gone again. He left smacking more limbs on his way to the city hall. 

 

At that point, another figure was making their way down the line of people. Keith was jostled to the side, then backwards. Hunk’s smiling face entered his line of sight for a fraction of a second. Keith was breathless. His knees felt weak and Nazta’s weight only added to his instability. Eventually, he carved his way to a thinner area of the crowd and managed to let his daughter slide off his back without collapsing.

 

“That was so amazing!! How did he even know you?!” She fixed him with a relentlessly curious gaze.

 

Keith didn’t reply, he simply grabbed her shoulder and ushered her forward, in the direction of the nearest food stand, which was over a block away. Neither said a word until they ordered the grilled legs of some local animal. Keith’s hands shook when he handed over the money. After that, he scoped out a spot to sit on the steps of an empty business building. They settled down and he immediately dug into the spiced flesh with a new appetite. Idly, he did some people-watching. Many of them were now walking away from the avenue, making their way to food carts or shops.

 

His skin tingled with the feeling of being watched, and he turned to see yellow eyes staring him down. Nazta’s eyebrows were drawn tight and she hadn’t even touched her grilled leg. Keith turned his body towards her and she tilted her head.

 

“You were acting really weird. How  _ did  _ Lance know you? And how did you know him?” She gave him a pointed stare. As usual, Keith fumbled for a moment. He stared at the ground and rubbed the back of his neck.

 

“It’s such a long story,” He finally conceded. “Lance was - well, they all were - old friends. I…” He tried to swallow with a suddenly dry throat. There was no way he could keep it a secret forever.

 

“I -”

 

“Dad -”

 

They both glanced at eachother, their mouths hanging half-open in hesitation. They giggled and Keith ducked his head. His hand instinctively rose to the back of his neck, but he forced it down into his lap. He could do this. She deserved to know.

 

“There’s...a lot you don’t know about me,” Keith admitted. He pointedly ignored the “I knew that” he got in return. “I was - I was a paladin of Voltron. The red paladin.”

 

He allowed a second of silence before he looked over to Nazta. Her face was strangely blank, save for her wide eyes, and Keith didn’t know how to feel about it. Her mouth opened, then closed, then repeated. His skin was crawling with nerves and he again resisted the urge to rub at his neck. Instead, he went to take a huge bite of the grilled leg that had started cooling off and nearly jumped off the steps a second later.

“YOU WERE A  _ WHAT _ ?!” Keith whipped around to face her, seasoned skin hanging from his mouth. Nazta’s arms were spread wide and her eyebrows were raised high. “WHY DID YOU NEVER TELL ME THIS?!”

 

Keith choked down his mouthful. “Nazta, please be quiet,” He said in a raspy voice. Then, he glared at the aliens who were peering at the two of them. “We don’t want to attract unnecessary attention.”

 

“Okay, but why did you never tell me?!” Keith leaned away from Nazta’s wildly gesticulating hands. She only did that when she was on the verge of a freak-out.

 

“Woah, woah, calm down a second. Can you do that for me, sweetheart?” Keith calmly took one of her hands and stared her in the eyes. Her eyes darted around his face and he could only hope he appeared as calm as possible.

 

She sighed and the tension drained out of her body. Her eyebrows furrowed, however. “Okay. I’m calm.” And she was. Keith smiled and gently squeezed her hand before letting it fall to her lap.

 

“I was a paladin of Voltron for about two years. In that time, we did a lot of missions saving planets, fighting the Galra empire, and forming alliances. It was tough, but we were dedicated. We  _ had _ to fight, or else the universe would suffer.” Keith shuffled around and heard Nazta hum in response. His eyes followed a bug skittering around on the ground.

 

Nazta spoke up. “So...why did you leave?”

 

He knew he had to address the question sooner or later, but it was always hard to think about. “Because someone I cared about left, too.” He looked into her eyes, which were attentive and tracked his every movement.

 

He told her about Shiro.

 

\--

 

_ This planet never seemed to stray from a single temperature, which was pretty damn warm. Keith briefly glared at the suns, which glared back twice as heatedly. At that moment, Keith was cleaning the outside of his hut, which had gotten filthy after the recent dust storm. His shirt had gotten soaked with sweat, so he abandoned it soon after he started. He glanced at the pot full of murky, soapy water and grimaced. Then, he stepped back to assess the hut. About half of it was showing its true baby blue, while the other half still had caked-on mud and plant matter. Keith’s entire body felt tired and way too hot for the heat, but he merely sighed and went to dump the pot. Maybe he could dunk himself in the pond when he went to go refill. _

 

_ He pulled up his long hair with an elastic band, then yanked the pot into his arms. He trudged down the street, enjoying the relative silence. Not many children lived at the sanctuary, but the ones that did were likely staying inside. Plant and house debris still littered the streets. Keith heard that the sanctuary clean-up crew were cleaning the streets as quickly as possible, but it wasn’t very fast. Passing by a rather large house, he heard roaring laughter and loud chatter. That house was home to a very well-liked family from a planet inhabited by insects. Keith avoided them for the sole fact that they looked creepy as hell. _

 

_ As he passed by a small yellow hut, he heard a high-pitched voice call out to him. He turned to find Etenya, the old lizard-like alien that had gifted him with a delicious pastry a few days after his arrival. She was kneeling on her porch, obviously finishing up her morning prayers. As usual, she was wearing a white shawl and sleeveless robe. She smiled with a very yellow set of teeth, but it was a comforting sight. Keith walked up to her and kneeled as well, since she taught him it was polite to do for her people. _

 

_ Despite obviously smelling funny, Etenya talked with him for about half an hour. They talked about her home - which she had endless stories about -, about the neighbor’s kids that looked exactly alike, and about her failing joints. Keith’s heart ached for her since he could tell she was in pain. When she offered to let him have a drink inside, he basically dragged her up from the ground. She thanked him kindly and offered him water and food, as she usually did when he visited. It was the most comfort Keith had gotten in the five months he had been there. _

 

_ Etenya had the alien equivalent of a TV since she had been there for such a long time. He guessed that it was her main source of entertainment besides socializing with passersby. Right now, it was on and provided background noise as they walked to Etenya’s tiny kitchen. Somehow, she made it seem home-y. There were strange cooking utensils hanging neatly on the wall and food was stacked in piles on the counters since there were no cabinets. The late morning light shone brightly through the kitchen window and Keith leaned against the counter as she filled a large cup with water. _

 

_ In the past, he asked how she tolerated the weather. It turned out that her species evolved from ancestors that lived primarily in the desert, so she had no problem living on the planet. Keith would’ve gladly traded in being part Galra for being part of her species. However, since he was still too human, he took the water and did his best not to just chug it. Etenya just smiled fondly and shuffled into the living room, offering to let him watch the news with her. _

 

_ He leaned over the back of her couch, where she had settled down. The news was broadcasting reports that Voltron, under the guidance of the newly crowned Emperor Lotor, had succeeded in capturing another major Galran general. Images of the huge, shining robot flashed across the screen. A video depicted the team exiting their lions. Keith took note of the fact that Matt walked out of Red, and Lance walked out of Blue. The news station managed to get an interview with Allura, and though she was obviously exhausted, she was regal in the armor of the black paladin. _

 

_ Keith didn’t realize he had started walking away until Etenya inquired as to where he was going. He realized he was still holding her cup and hastily returned it to the kitchen counter before he hustled out the door. His abandoned pot sat on the porch and he scooped it up with the intention of heading to the pond. His house was still filthy, after all. _

 

_ Ultimately, it wouldn’t matter what his house looked like. A month later, Galran forces razed the planet in pursuit of resources, stirring up dust and causing fires that burned hotter and brighter than anything Keith had ever seen. If the droids searching homes didn’t kill him first, the smog would. Keith grabbed the nearest sharp object and stabbed to save himself. A guard finally came to fetch him at his ruined hut and they fled to the nearest evacuation ship. As they flew away, he watched the flames rise higher and higher. _

 

\--

Keith never liked being weak. Neither physically, nor emotionally. It made his skin  _ crawl _ . He wanted to curl up into a ball, or reach out and hit something, or run away from everything that ever made him feel bad. Unfortunately, Keith learned that in order to reach out to people - to make  _ connections _ and  _ bonds _ \- he would need to be vulnerable. He knew that when he lived with Shiro’s parents, he knew that when trying to make friends at the Garrison, he knew that when he fought alongside Voltron, and knew that as he raised Nazta. However, it never got any easier, no matter how many times he spilled his secrets, or vented his emotions.

 

Now was certainly not an exception. Nazta was his child, she had been the closest person to him, yet she was the hardest person to spill his secrets to.  _ Maybe this is part of being a parent _ , he had thought multiple times. And it was true. As he sat there, recounting the watered-down memories of his brother’s death to his daughter, he wanted more than anything to never have to tell her the atrocities of the world. He never wanted to imagine that she could lose family like that. However, she knew it almost as well as Keith, and he was grateful - so grateful - that they could bond over that.

 

Keith pulled out his phone and nearly jumped when he realized the time. He glanced up and noticed the crowd had thinned considerably. Most people didn’t stick around as important people left. Keith wiped his damp eyes and stood up. His half-eaten grilled leg was cold at that point, but he didn’t feel very hungry anymore. Nazta stood beside him for a second, stretching. Then, she latched onto his waist and  _ squeezed _ . She didn’t have to say anything, but Keith appreciated the hug and patted her fluffy mohawk.

 

They descended the few steps of the empty building and threw away their grilled legs at the nearest trash can. Nazta once again latched onto Keith’s arm as he guided them both through the calmer crowd. People around them were idly chatting along the railing protecting the street. Going by his memory, Keith led them a few blocks down to city hall. The building was almost like a skyscraper, except it had multiple glass-enclosed balconies budding off the sides. It was almost completely covered in windows except for the first two floors, the walls of which were built from a golden stone that was native only to the region. Banners of Voltron’s colors were strung between the balconies and the wind gently swayed them. Keith could see the glass doors of the entrance, where Lance would be walking out from in about five minutes. At the base of the golden steps sat two statues. Apparently they were historic political figures back when the city was being founded, but Nazta probably knew more about them from school than he did.

 

The little gremlin scurried up the base of one of those statues and settled herself in the shade. She idly swung her feet and closed her eyes, obviously enjoying the small breeze that had started up. Keith chose to lean next to her, glancing at the doors at the corner of his eyes. His foot had picked up a steady tapping, put neither of them paid any mind to it.

 

“Are you excited?” Keith turned his head to his daughter, who was peering down at him with a toothy smile.

 

Keith smiled back. “Yeah, I guess I am. What about you?”

 

Nazta grinned from ear-to-ear. “Yeah! We get to meet Voltron! That’s what I wanted to do all day!” She kicked her legs vigorously and Keith chuckled. He loved when she got excited about stuff.

 

They didn’t have to wait long until the doors  _ whoosh _ ed open and a boisterous voice caught the attention of Keith and Nazta. The girl immediately jumped down and went to stand beside Keith. He could barely register her hands grabbing onto his wrist. He watched as Lance was excitedly gesturing to Hunk and Pidge, who looked fairly confused.

 

Lance’s whole body seemed to radiate joy and sunshine. His smile was infectious, and when he turned to look around, Keith’s spine jolted to attention. Their eyes made contact and all too suddenly, Lance was directly in front of him. The man was practically vibrating as he wordlessly waved over Hunk and Pidge, who had finally seen Keith in all of his awkward glory. 

 

Pidge halted for a second, then bolted forward to fling herself at him. Keith barely had enough time to brace himself before arms wrapped around him and held tight. She let loose a squeal that sounded vaguely like his name before she started swinging him around like a doll. She had gotten so much stronger - so much, in fact, that it was getting hard to breathe. Keith’s chest convulsed in strained giggles.

 

“Alright Pidge, leave some for me!” A deeper, warm voice caught the attention of both of them and Pidge let go. Suddenly, Hunk’s smiling face filled his sight and Keith was picked up by large, strong arms. Keith laughed loudly as he was spun around. When they stopped after a good ten seconds, Hunk pushed his face into Keith’s shirt. It was getting damp.

 

“H-Hunk! Uh - Don’t cry -”

“I can’t help it! It’s really you!” Hunk lifted his head and though tears were streaming down his cheeks, a glowing grin warmed Keith’s heart.

 

He was gently lowered to the ground once again and he turned to find Lance crouched down next to Nazta. They were eagerly talking and shaking hands. Pidge was standing to the side, not-so-subtly wiping away tears. Hunk’s hand clapped his shoulder.

 

“So who’s this?” He gestured to the very ecstatic girl. Both Lance and Nazta looked up and Lance stood up, still holding one of her small hands.

 

“ _ This _ ,” He deeply bowed. “Is Keith’s lovely daughter, Nazta.” She giggled and Lance flashed her a grin from his position. Keith thought his heart might burst. 

 

“Wait,  _ your daughter _ ?!” Hunk’s voice startled Keith, and he turned to see both his and Pidge’s shocked faces.

 

Keith rubbed at his neck. “Yeah, my uh - my daughter.”

 

Lance piped up, “I guess we have a lot of catching up to do, huh?”

 

\--

 

_ Keith’s whole body felt hollow. He and the guard traveled up from the loading area to the area that had become a make-shift medical wing. They took a winding route beside halls with rooms full of injured people. Patients and sanctuary staff members bustled around them, not even sparing a glance at the two of them. In turn, the guard paid them no attention and led them forwards to a staircase. They followed a group of people up to the next floor, which served as a holding floor for all of the refugees. _

 

_ The guard turned to Keith, and for the first time, he got a good look. They were at least half Galra, with pure yellow eyes and purple markings descending from their forehead underneath their helmet. However, their fur was a golden yellow and looked very soft. With a strained voice, they informed him that they would need to check in with the rest of the guards. With a jolt, Keith realized he’d be left here, stranded. Without thinking, he clung to the guard’s wrist and nearly begged to be brought along. Although Keith had flustered the guard, they let him tag along, even offering to accompany him to get checked in, if it was possible. He graciously accepted that offer. _

 

_ He barely registered the rooms and people passing by them. If he knew any of the aliens walking around, he couldn’t tell. They all became blurs, like dancing rainbows around him. They eventually reached a room full of computers and screens, which showed various locations on and inside the ship. Keith started at the voice next to him and realized the guard was talking to the other guards in the room. A flew glanced at Keith questioningly, but he instead held on tighter to the armored wrist of the guard. They were talking with what appeared to be a commander in an unknown language. Their words were brief with eachother and soon enough, the guard did a quick salute that awkwardly tugged Keith’s arms to the side. Chuckles rumbled through the room, and the two hurried out. _

 

_ Once again, the guard seemed flustered, but he informed Keith that they could accompany him to the check-in desk, but then they’d have to leave. Keith hastily asked for a name. Aggi. _

 

_ \-- _

 

Keith took his entourage to the smoothie place at Nazta’s insistence. Fans swarmed their small group as they tried walking out of the square. The paladins breezed through selfie and autograph requests with practiced smiles and lines. Keith and Nazta were jostled more than once by pushier fans, which didn’t pass by the paladins. After dealing with the fifth group of people, Hunk offered to let Nazta ride on his shoulders. He kneeled down and she eagerly hopped on. Keith could tell she enjoyed the new change in height. Hunk had always been taller than him, and it hadn’t changed over the years.

 

What had changed about Hunk, however was his arm. Keith noticed when the man had picked him up. The arm was metal. As the others satiated the adoring fans, his eyes were repeatedly drawn to the prosthetic. It was on the right arm and appeared to start just above his elbow. The yellow paladin’s armor covered most of it, but the metal gleamed at the elbow junction and again at his exposed hand. Idly, he wondered if it could be used in battle like Shiro’s.

 

He was jerked out of his thoughts by a hand grabbing his wrist and tugging,  _ hard _ . Keith stumbled and almost lashed out before he noticed the blue armor. He allowed himself to be pulled along and noticed that Lance was heading to an alleyway devoid of people. When they stopped there, Lance released his wrist and Keith almost missed the contact. Hunk and Pidge stopped short behind them, not even winded despite the fact that Keith’s breaths were coming short.

 

“I thought we’d never lose them! Hey, how far away is this place anyway?” Hunk looked up questioningly at Nazta, who just shrugged.

 

“Dad knows the way.”

 

Keith felt slightly bitter about the fact that she could hone in on that tiny shop any time they were out shopping, but he let it slide. Instead, he peered out of the alleyway. Clothing stores and food vendors lined the streets. They were in the right area at least. He turned back to the others, who were watching him expectantly. “We’re not too far. Just a few blocks down.”

 

Pidge and Lance sighed in relief. They started walking again once Keith got his bearings. He led them down the busy streets, which provided the paladins some relief from adoring fans since most people were too busy to bother. At some point, the crowds got thicker, and Keith was shoved around. In a minor panic, he looked back, making sure the others were still with him. Lance burst through between two people and latched onto Keith’s arm as soon as he was in range. Keith jolted with the sudden contact, but looked behind him to see the outline of Hunk and Pidge, with Nazta still sitting high on the large boy’s shoulders.

 

With his new partner in tow, Keith pressed onward, making sure that they didn’t lose contact. They crossed a few streets before the strange shop finally came into view. He made a beeline to the shop door and opened it without hesitation. Once inside, Lance let go of Keith’s wrist and stopped to admire the shop’s odd-colored walls. Just a few moments later and the rest of their crew bustled in. Nazta hit her forehead on the doorframe with a soft ding, and Hunk let her down with a very guilty look on his face. The large blue alien at the register came hobbling over immediately, speaking to her softly in Iasdalaric. A long limb reached out and patted her on the head as he crooned. Then, he hustled back behind the register and called out to his partner in the kitchen. A call answered and he motioned for their group to find a table.

 

For the first time since their arrival, Keith took note of the shocked faces in the shop. They looked away once they realized they were caught staring, but he still warily took a seat closest to the back. The others followed suit, even carrying over a couple extra seats to fit everyone at the tiny table. Nazta scooted in close to him until they were nearly touching. He gave her a few pats on the back in what he hoped was a comforting manner. Pidge sat on his other side, readjusting her ponytail.

 

She had really grown. She had gotten noticeably taller, though still not enough to meet Keith at eye-level. While it wasn’t in a messy ponytail, Pidge’s hair flowed down below her shoulders. Keith was almost disappointed to note that her trademark glasses were absent. Her ears had been pierced at some point and she was wearing modest gemstone earrings. On her other side, Hunk was leaning on the table, talking to Lance. He was still a very large man, but his stomach and arms had obviously shifted more towards lean muscle. His hair had grown out and was pulled neatly into a ponytail, exposing the shaved underside. On his face, the handsome beginnings of a mustache and beard were interrupted by a long, pale scar running along his jawline on the right side. His eyes were beginning to develop permanent crow’s feet, which bunched up every time he would laugh or smile at one of Lance’s jokes.

 

And then there was Lance. The few years apart had done wonders for his face. His already sharp features were more striking, and his blue eyes held more maturity. No hair graced his jawline, preserving his boy-ish look very nicely. His feathery hair had grown out on one side while the other side was neatly shaved. A jagged scar ran from his hairline to his ear and created a streak of significantly lighter hair. As he leaned back on his chair, Keith noticed his wider chest and shoulders, and quickly jerked his eyes away from the man before his gaze could wander. He apparently wasn’t quick enough because Lance’s head turned to Keith with an eyebrow raised.

 

“What is it dude? Do I have something on my face?” He smirked and Keith was slapped in the face with nostalgia. Despite everything else, it was still the same.

 

“Uh - no, I just realized how  _ different _ you guys look. Not in a bad way! Just...different,” Keith hurried to elaborate. The paladins each gave him a smile, each different. Lance’s grin grew and he leaned closer. Keith was pinned by his gaze.

 

“Like you have room to talk! Look at your  _ hair _ ! And that stripe on your face, how did you get that?” Pidge suppressed a giggle beside him at the mention of his hair and Keith subconsciously went to tug at a strand brushing his shoulders.

 

Their conversation was put on hold when a large, bubbly blue alien bustled over to their table. She asked for their orders and Nazta took the opportunity to order completely in Iasdalaric. She earned a proud hug from the alien and Keith noticed Pidge’s whole body turn in attention to his daughter. The rest of them placed their order and they were left alone again.

 

Pidge jumped right on that opportunity. “How did you learn that language?” Her eyes were intense with curiosity and Keith felt the immediate need to assist.

 

“She’s really good at learning languages! She finds them interesting.” He turned to Nazta, who nodded in confirmation.

 

“That’s so cool! How many do you know?” Pidge leaned forward across the table and set her chin in her hands. Though she was mildly flustered with all the attention, Nazta answered all of the other girl’s questions with enthusiasm. 

 

“So Keith, is she like, related to you?” Lance piped up when the conversation ended.

 

Keith started. “Oh, no, she’s my adoptive daughter. It’s kind of a long story, but I’ve been taking care of her for over three years now.” He gently ruffled said daughter’s mohawk and she squawked in protest. The rest of the table giggled.

 

“You guys are adorable,” Hunk said. His smile then slipped into something softer, as did his voice. “It’s good that you’ve had someone with you though.”

 

Keith looked down at Nazta with fond eyes. He’d counted his blessings many times over the past four years. “Yeah, I don’t know what I would’ve done without her.”

 

“Don’t be sappy, Dad!” She punched him in the arm, but a grin was spreading across her face.

Keith looked up again and all eyes were on the two of them. Clearing his throat, he turned to Hunk with his burning question. “So, what - uh - what happened to your arm?”

 

Hunk perked up and held out his arm. The metal glinted as he twisted it and flexed his fingers. “I lost it in a pretty bad battle about three years ago. We received an urgent distress signal from a peaceful planet we had  _ just _ helped a month before. They were these super sweet little aliens that did farming underground - it was so cool, you should’ve  _ seen _ the tunnels! Anyway, we got there and everything was on fire and the people had been taken prisoner by the Galra, of course, so we were really angry. A Galra general came out to make a deal, but we were like, ‘uh, no way are we gonna hand over the lions’ and then the general was like, ‘fine then, you’ll die now!’ and then  _ boom! _ ” Hunk’s hand rattled the table with a metallic  _ clang! _ “Fifty battleships appeared out of nowhere. We tried getting to the lions, but they had us blocked off. Somehow, we all got split up in the burning village and I was with Pidge trying to fight off a  _ horde _ of droids by ourselves. We almost,  _ almost _ got them all before this like, juggernaut guy came flying in. He was apparently a lieutenant and he kicked our asses - oops, sorry, Nazta. Anyway, um - I tried putting up my shield, but he shot it off like it was nothing! So I told Pidge to run for it, but she _ didn’t _ ,” Hunk glared at her, who threw up her hands in exasperation. “And he went to take a shot for her soooo I tried blocking the shot with my arm. And - yeah.”

 

Keith sat there stunned, watching as Hunk silently flexed his hand. He felt oddly guilty for him getting hurt, like Hunk wasn’t someone meant to get hurt. Something inside him said maybe he should’ve been there. Maybe that would’ve made a difference.

 

The heavy atmosphere was broken abruptly when the same blue alien hobbled over to their table carrying a large tray of their smoothies, each looking like a fluorescent disaster topped with cream or fruit. Everyone was politely silent as she gingerly set the smoothies down next to their respective owners. Keith dug through his pockets and pulled out enough money to pay for all of them. He saw Hunk’s head shoot up, but it was too late to protest.

 

The paladins wasted no time in starting on their smoothies. Pidge and Lance began licking the cream off the top, seemingly immune to the incredulous looks shot in their direction from Keith and Hunk. The rest of them began calmly sipping from their drinks. Keith never got anything fancy, but Nazta loved hers loaded with local red berries and they bounced in her drink with every sip. Glancing up from his own fruity concoction, Keith caught Hunk and Lance looking at eachother with wide eyes as they were taking one long, continuous drink. Lance waggled his eyebrows and Hunk nodded. Keith got the feeling he was missing something.

 

After another long minute of silence, Lance removed his lips from the straw with a loud pop, catching the attention of everyone at the table. Then, he turned his full attention to Keith and made a vague gesture in his direction. “So, what’s with that mark on your skin? Is it a tattoo or…?” Keith subconsciously touched the area where he knew the long, purple mark to be.

 

“Actually, you know how I’m half Galra?” Lance nodded. “I found out a few years ago that these are Galra markings. I guess I must’ve gotten them from my mother.”

 

Hunk nodded. “That would make sense if she had the same markings.” He paused, then cocked his head. “Did you ever meet her while you were, y’know…?”

 

Keith shook his head. “No. I don’t even know how I would find her.” Though he had to admit, he thought of her often. He wondered if he met her one day and didn’t even recognize her.

 

He glanced back to Lance and found the other boy staring intensely, studying his face. Keith felt his skin prickle and burn, but Pidge spoke up.

 

“You know, I never thought I’d see the day when you didn’t have your mullet.” Her voice was far too smug and so was the smirk on her face. He was briefly hit with a sense of nostalgia at the twinkle in her eyes before his face grew hotter with the sound of Lance’s cackling.

 

“Yeah, it’s a miracle!” Keith considered flipping them off before he remembered his daughter was sitting at the table as well. Right now, he could tell she was a little tense, but she had that same amused twinkle in her eyes.

 

“Anyway, you look awesome Keith, don’t let them bully you. What made you grow it out?” Hunk’s benevolent smile eased Keith’s embarrassment. He started playing with the ends of his hair.

 

“I like having this length, and it was easier than keeping up the mullet. Less maintenance.” He hoped that came out way more nonchalant than he felt.

 

“Well I like it! It makes you look a lot older, too,” Hunk commented, as if Keith wasn’t dying. Pidge hummed in agreement as she took a drink.

 

“Yeah, I can dig it!” Lance put the final nail in the coffin. Trying desperately to save face, Keith cleared his throat and willed his voice not to crack when he thanked them.

 

“Wait, what’s a mullet?” Nazta asked softly. Keith loved her to death, but her mischievous eyes made his blood run cold.

 

For a second, nothing happened. Then, the paladins started cackling and Keith wondered who would tell her first - Lance or Pidge. Lucky for him, he wouldn’t get to find out, because an electronic chime came from Hunk’s pocket. He started and pulled it out, his smile dulling a second after.

 

“Guys, we’re gonna have to head back soon.” Pidge and Lance’s smiles fell and Keith felt his stomach drop with them.

 

“Oh, right…” Lance leaned back and scratched the back of his head.

 

“Sorry Keith, Allura told us to be back before they left city hall.” Pidge looked remorseful and offered him a small smile.

 

Swallowing hard, he replied, “No, that’s fine. Do you need me to guide you back?”

 

Lance chuckled. “Yeah, probably. These big cities are always the worst without a guide.”

 

“Wait, first - let’s finish these smoothies, because our dear friend Keith paid for all of these and they are too good to waste.” Hunk and Pidge took their smoothies and chugged them from the rim. Lance whipped his head around to Keith.

 

“You could’ve asked us to help pay.”

 

“Do you have money from around here?” Keith said pointedly. Lance grumbled a “no”, then followed his friends’ lead. There was a long moment of silence as everyone drank.

 

Keith spared a glance at Nazta. Her face was conflicted, but she was clearly trying not to say anything. Then, her whole body perked up and she reached into her pocket and pulled out her Voltron figurine. She leaned forward and slammed it in the middle of the table.

 

“Would you please sign my figure!” She said in a rush, not daring to look at anyone. The surprise wore off after a second, then hands rushed forward and scrambled for it. Pidge and Lance ended up swatting eachother’s hands and angrily whispering for the other to let go. One well-placed pinch later, and it was jerked in the green paladin’s direction. Hunk handed her a pen and she hastily signed on the green lion’s belly. It was then passed around, each paladin signing their name on their respective lion. Lance handed it back with a grin and held out a fist. Nazta took the figure back but then cocked her head at the outstretched fist. Gingerly, she poked it and Lance sighed.

 

“You’re as bad as your father.” Lance ignored Keith’s offended “hey!” and showed her how to fist-bump. She grinned and turned to Keith to repeat it again. He huffed and pressed his fist to hers, failing to suppress a smile.

 

After that, they stood up and left. The owner said goodbye and Nazta responded eagerly. They filed out the door and quickly merged with the crowd on the sidewalk. The sun shone brightly overhead, casting a yellow glow around them. Nazta clung to his arm as they shuffled down the street. Predictably, the paladins frequently got stopped by fans. Unlike last time, they kept signings and photos much more brief. Although Keith didn’t really want to keep going, he weaved them through the crowds as best he could. 

 

All too soon, he turned the corner to the city avenue, which was once again filling up with onlookers. The city hall shone like a beacon, guiding the paladins back to the rest of their group. Keith snuck them up to the golden steps, then stopped. He turned to face them, bracing himself for the goodbyes. Instead, the paladins kept marching and seemed startled by the fact that he wasn’t leading them anymore.

 

Lance and Hunk exchanged brief glances. “Aren’t you coming with us, Keith?” Lance said, quirking one eyebrow. Behind them, Keith was dimly aware of the crowds realizing that the paladins were at the steps.

 

“I - can I?” Keith felt his heart flutter despite all attempts to squash that feeling. He’d been wrestling with that small voice in his head all day. They probably want him to see Allura again, then they’ll part ways.

 

“Yeah, dude, c’mon!” Lance said with amusement in his voice. Then, he was being yanked forward by the wrist. They all ascended the stairs, Nazta lagging just behind Keith. They strode through the front doors and Keith was taken aback by the pristine interior. Photos of historic meetings lined the white walls and watched as they walked down the length of the hall. The group briefly stopped to check in at the reception desk, and then they walked down a hall to the left. Ahead, Pidge and Hunk playfully argued about which way they came. Lance had still not let go of his wrist. It was slightly uncomfortable.

 

Keith cleared his throat, catching the man’s attention. He looked down and yanked his hand back like he had been burned. It went to the back of his head as he turned to face them, walking steadily backwards.

 

“So, have you two ever been in here?”

 

“No.” Keith said, peering into offices as they passed. “We’ve never had a reason to.”

 

“It’s so...boring,” Nazta admitted. Her bluntness caught both of them off-guard and Lance snorted.

 

“Yeah, I’ve seen better. One time, we went into a cathedral underground that was built around the roots of the great trees above ground! They had stalactites - or stalagmites, I can’t remember -” Keith tried to warn Lance a second too late before he ran into Hunk’s back. It didn’t seem to phase the big man besides startling him. 

 

“Careful, Lance! We’re waiting for an elevator.” And indeed, they reached the end of the hall of offices, which split in two directions. In front of them, three elevators sat with the circular doors closed. The center one had a sign above the doors which indicated that the elevator was descending. Not a second later, a chime rang out and the doors opened. A harried office worker rushed out clutching a tablet.

 

As Keith stepped inside, he realized the elevator was more of a large glass sphere with a golden floor, which overlooked the wide center of the whole building. From his vantage point, he could see other spheres descending and ascending without any cables or support system to be found. Instead, he could hear the floor of the elevator power up and he felt it move away from the closing doors. Then, it slowly levitated upwards. Upon looking up, Keith could see rows of doors stretching remarkably high. The sight was almost enough to distract him from the fact that he had been packed in with four other people. Nazta still clung to his arm, but she was looking through the glass as well. Her grip tightened significantly when she looked down.

 

“Don’t look down,” He said gently. She nodded and instead looked up again.

 

“Yeah, definitely don’t look down. If you thought elevators were bad enough, this is so much worse,” Hunk remarked. His eyes constantly shifted around, and his voice shook slightly. Pidge reached out and squeezed his hand and Hunk exhaled slowly. Lance patted his shoulder until the sphere gently stopped at a set of doors half a minute later. Keith didn’t need to look to tell they were very high off the ground.

 

When they stepped out, they were met with a very similar hall they had just left. Hunk asked Pidge where they had to go and she took the lead, still holding his hand. The rest of their group picked up their paces to match hers. They travelled down a hall full of closed doors and the occasional office. She led them to the very last door, where she stopped.

 

“Alright, I think this is it. Remember: Allura said we need to be quiet and respectful when we come in.” They all nodded. Keith felt the blood pound in his ears as she turned the knob on the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, cliffhangers


	3. Lost and Found

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this is so late! A lot of irl stuff has been going on rn, but it looks like things are starting to calm down.  
> Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! We'll get to meet a new, important character, and we finally get a full reunion!

_ Keith’s entire body jerked, forcing him awake. Images of bloody hands faded away as he blinked away tears. His breathing shook and sweat caused his bangs and shirt to cling uncomfortably to his body. He focused on steadying his breathing, which echoed much too loud in the dull silence of the room. Keith glanced to his right at the other cot in the small room. He could barely make out the alien curled in a ball, but they were still making soft clicking noises. He let out a long sigh. _

 

_ This was the third sleep-cycle filled with nightmares. Keith’s eyes felt like lead while the rest of his body prickled with lingering apprehension. He bit back a frustrated groan as he laid back down. Using the dim light from the door, he traced the patterns of metallic lines of the ceiling with his weary eyes. He could feel his body beginning to settle down again. _

 

_ Someone walked by the door, and even though their shadow interrupted the light for no more than a second, Keith still flinched like he’d been struck. His fists clenched over his stomach and glared daggers at the ceiling.  _ Why was this still a problem? _ The more he laid there, the more he felt like he was drowning in the heavy darkness of the room. And more than anything, he wanted to  _ get up _ , to  _ move _ , to do  _ something, anything.

 

_ His feet were hitting cold metal before his mind could catch up. They led him out the door and his eyes stung with the sudden change in light. Very few people wandered the halls with Keith as he trudged down silent halls toward the guard station. It was one of the few places he’d memorized on the ship. As the minutes dragged on, he became more and more aware of how underdressed he was. He was still wearing the loose standard clothing given to him shortly after he checked in with the sanctuary employees. He rubbed at the goosebumps forming on his arms. _

 

_ One final turn down the fourth hallway led him straight to the guard’s outpost. Through his long bangs, he glanced at the security device that hung from the ceiling. He walked underneath it and leaned against the wall. He watched the metal door open a few seconds later. Aggi spotted him immediately and his mouth twitched into something of a frown. Keith looked away and wrapped his arms around himself. _

 

_ They offered him a hot meal then, which Keith didn’t dare refuse. Aggi gestured for him to follow as they both began walking in the direction of the cafeteria. Keith was thankful that they didn’t bother asking about the nightmares anymore, but he was getting tired of the silence. Keith felt himself shiver and he impulsively reached for Aggi’s arm, whose armor was just as cold as the air biting at his skin. But the smile they flashed was just as warm as the gloved hand that was now holding Keith’s. He couldn’t help but release a sigh as tension started draining from his shoulders from the simple contact. It felt...nice. _

 

_ And they stayed like that, hand-in-hand, all the way to the large cafeteria - which was mostly empty save for a few stragglers. When they walked up to the ordering booth, Aggi let Keith order the soup that he had learned was actually pretty good. As they waited, Aggi told him about their boring shift - which mostly involved watching vacant storage rooms and deserted hallways. Keith chuckled as Aggi complained about another guard constantly falling asleep on the job. Their facial expressions made Keith laugh even harder, earning him a soft smile. _

 

_ The soup was ready within minutes and Keith was forced to let go of the alien’s hand in order to carry his meal. In just a few seconds, waves of warmth flooded from his hands to his whole body from the hot bowl. Aggi guided him to an empty table, where they both spent the next ten minutes talking. Keith tried his best not to squirt soup out of his nose when Aggi cracked a rather rude joke about their commander’s fashion sense. When he was sent into a coughing fit, they gently patted his arm while apologizing. Despite the burning in his chest, Keith’s face broke into a genuine smile that made his cheeks ache. It didn’t leave for the rest of their conversation. _

 

_ A tinny voice sounded from Aggi’s front pocket, cutting off Keith’s story of the prank his classmates pulled in his first year at the Garrison. Their lip snarled as they made a sharp reply back to the communicator. Keith glanced down at his bowl, which was nearly finished save for a few tangy herbs that he didn’t quite like the taste of. He offered them to Aggi, whose face lit up like a Christmas tree. _

 

_ After quickly finishing the last of Keith’s soup in a few gulps, Aggi got up and returned the bowl to the cleaning station. Keith followed them and habitually reached for their hand again. Surprise flickered across their face once before their larger fingers laced between his. They both were silent once again, but it was comforting this time, with a restored warmth shared between the two. Keith noted that they were heading in the direction of his room and he smiled slightly. Aggi’s superiors wouldn’t like that. _

 

_ Though it took several minutes to reach his room, time seemed to pass all too quickly. They turned a corner and his door was finally in sight. Aggi’s grip tightened just slightly, which Keith returned a second later. Then, they were standing in front of his door and he became very aware of the silence between the two of them. He sucked in a breath and hurriedly thanked Aggi. They hesitated for just a moment, then tugged him forward into a tight, but pleasant embrace. Keith’s arms hung at his sides for a few seconds before he moved to settle his hands on their large back. Keith could feel Aggi’s yellow fur tickling the hair on his head. They stayed like that for what felt like forever until Aggi stepped back. Their large hands squeezed Keith’s shoulders and their golden eyes gleamed. _

 

_ Although he felt so  _ peaceful _ in that moment, he couldn’t ignore the feeling of awkwardness at the situation. His heart rate suddenly picked up and his skin prickled uncomfortably. He forced himself to look away from that bright face and he choked out a goodnight. Aggi repeated it and wished him good dreams - seemingly unfazed by Keith’s sudden shyness. Then, they were walking away. Keith watched their retreating back and felt a slight ache in his chest, but brushed it off in favor of walking back into the very dark room. His vision adjusted quickly and he saw the motionless form of his roommate - who was still clicking softly. As he hastily crawled back under the sheets of his own cot, Keith’s exhaustion hit his body like a truck - reminding him of all of the sleep he needed to catch up on. This time, it was much easier to push aside all thoughts and feelings, and Keith soon sunk into a deep sleep. _

  
  


\--

 

Pidge opened the door and motioned for the rest of them to go ahead. Keith made sure Nazta was still holding onto his arm before he followed Hunk inside the room. The lights were dim and it took a second for Keith’s eyes to adjust. Inside, a neat circle of podiums took up most of the room and a large blue hologram of Itia stood on a round table in the center of the circle. The hologram’s glow provided an eerie backlighting to the ambassadors and politicians that were silently staring at the intruding group. Keith’s skin prickled and he felt his arm move behind him so that Nazta was close behind. Hunk gestured for the group to move into the nearest corner of the room, neatly out of the way of the meeting.

 

A raspy voice picked up the conversation again, but Keith ignored the talk in favor of quickly scanning his surroundings. The far wall was nothing but windows, which were completely shuttered for the time being. He noticed two tall aliens in the adjacent corner diligently typing on tablets as each delegate spoke. One voice in particular caught his attention, and Keith’s head whipped over to the podium where Allura was giving suggestions about future conferences.

 

He almost didn’t recognize her in the lighting, but there was no mistaking her smooth accent and diplomatic smile. Under the light of the hologram, her black and white armor and her silver crown shone brightly. Her hands swayed with her words and each delegate gave her their unwavering attention. As she gave her final speech to the conference, Keith found himself thoroughly impressed by her confident demeanor. For some reason, he felt proud.

 

The conference ended with the delegates stepping down from the podium. A few headed straight for the door while others lingered with Allura, shaking hands or talking in hushed voices. Keith spotted someone who looked like Matt standing next to Lotor with a couple of delegates. A couple of minutes passed before most of the room had fully cleared out. Keith felt a tug on his arm, snapping him from his semi-trance. He went along easily as Lance led him out the door. They stopped in the hall, waiting for the rest of the group to leave.

 

Matt, Lotor, and Allura were the last ones to emerge, and as soon as she spotted Keith, Allura’s calm expression slipped into surprise. She stood still for a moment before she approached Keith, now facing him eye-to-eye. Her bright eyes darted around his face, taking in all of his features, and it took everything he had not to lean away from her intense gaze.

 

She seemed to sense his discomfort and stepped back. “Keith...it’s really you?” She asked in a remarkably soft voice. He nodded.

 

In an instant, she was in his space, pulling him into a firm hug, her armor digging into his chest. Keith stood rigid for a few seconds before he patted her back. Without moving, she mumbled into his shoulder, “I’m sorry, Keith. I know how you don’t like hugs, but…”

 

Keith almost laughed. “No, no it’s fine. I’m glad to see you, too.”

 

She pulled back then - looking misty-eyed, and ducked her head. “It’s great to see you alive and well. All these years, we never knew what happened to you.” She looked back at him again, and - yeah, she was definitely crying.

 

A gloved hand squeezed her shoulder then, and Keith traced the arm up to a handsome face wearing a composed smile. Though he appeared regal as ever, he seemed relaxed enough, which eased Keith’s apprehension. He still couldn’t quite meet his eyes, however - not because Lotor was literally a whole head taller than him, but because he worried the man might not be very pleased to see him.

 

“Keith, it is great to finally meet you again.” Lotor held his hand out and Keith took it. Lotor shook once - firmly - before letting go. “I regret that our first meeting years ago was so...unpleasant. I must apologize for my behaviour before I joined Voltron. It was very unbecoming of me, wouldn’t you agree?” He tilted his head.

 

“Yeah.”  _ Wait, no - _ “Uh - I mean - no, you’re fine - uh -” Oh, his cheeks  _ burned _ . 

 

Lotor just chuckled. “I understand what you mean.” Then, he glanced towards Keith’s legs and his eyes widened. “A Galra child?”

 

“Yeah, she’s mine.” He rested an arm on Nazta’s shoulders and glanced down. She looked awe-struck - and maybe a little overwhelmed. Her eyes shifted from Lotor, to Allura, then up to Keith, silently pleading. He gently nudged her forward. “Would you like to introduce yourself?”

 

Nazta straightened her back and cleared her throat. “My name is Nazta, and I am a huge fan of Voltron,” She said with a barely-contained grin. She held out her hand, which Lotor knelt down and took in his own. Nazta leaned back, since even knelt down, Lotor was still much taller than her.

 

“Pleased to meet you, young Nazta. You say you are a fan of Voltron, yes? Have you met the paladins?” Lotor gestured to the surrounding group. Keith caught Matt and Pidge whispering enthusiastically to eachother. 

 

“Yeah! I got to meet Lance, Hunk, and Pidge! We got smoothies and I got their autographs - oh!” She held out a hand, which held her beloved Voltron figure - which now bore three signatures. “Would you sign my Voltron figure, please?” In response to her pleading eyes, Lotor smiled and gingerly took the figure. After accepting a pen from Pidge, he signed the belly in neat, looping letters. Then, he passed it on to Allura, who scrawled another loopy signature on the back of the robot. Keith almost jumped when Matt leaned over him to take the robot from the princess.

 

He stared - no,  _ watched _ attentively - as Matt signed the chin of the Red Lion. Keith felt an odd pang in his chest, but squashed it down when the other man bent down and handed the figure back to Nazta.

 

“Now you’ve got a souvenir from all of us!” He shook her hand and stood straight again. Then, he looked at Keith. “But your dad should probably sign it, too. Since he was a paladin too, and all.” He grinned.

 

Keith could feel everyone staring at him, and he rubbed at his prickling neck. “I mean, I don’t really have to -”

 

“C’mon, Keith, do it!” Lance rushed up and jostled his shoulders and Keith nearly jumped out of his skin. His mind laser-focused onto the hands on his shoulders and he struggled to concentrate on the people around him, who were now urging him to sign the robot.

 

A small hand grabbed one of his and pulled insistently - effectively breaking him out of his daze. “Yeah, Dad, please! Please sign it, too!” Nazta’s squeaky voice was filled with excitement - and how could he  _ not _ sign the damn thing?

 

The cheering died down then, as Keith knelt down and gingerly accepted the robot and a pen. He briefly inspected the signatures, glancing at Lance’s messy handwriting compared to Hunk’s curly letters - he noted both of them had scribbled hearts next to their names. Pidge’s large signature reminded him of graffiti - Matt’s was no different with sharp, close-together letters. Keith then found a problem and once again ignored the odd pang in his chest. 

 

“Um - where do I sign?” He looked around at his friends, who had subtly moved closer. Lance leaned in his space, and Keith suddenly felt a little claustrophobic and tucked his limbs closer to himself. To his surprise, Lance noticed immediately and backed off, giving Keith room to breathe again. A warm feeling bloomed from his chest.

 

“You gotta sign Red, of course! Sign on her belly,” He gave a thumbs-up, and stepped back next to Hunk, whose grin was nearly blinding.

 

Wordlessly, Keith scribbled on the belly of the lion in his usual messy penmanship. It felt awkward - out of place - but he figured that Nazta would appreciate it. He was proven right. Before he was even able to return the robot, he was thrown to the floor by little, purple arms around his neck. In an instant, his air supply was cut off and he gagged. Laughs rang out around the hall and Keith was left powerless as his daughter hugged the life out of him. A few seconds passed before the pressure in his chest grew too strong and he had to pry Nazta’s arms from his neck. He sat up and felt legs wrap around his torso. A dark hand reached out for him, and Keith graciously took it, allowing him to be basically hauled up by Allura. She was smiling from ear-to-ear and barely suppressing giggles along with the rest of the group. Off to the side, Keith could hear Hunk whisper-yelling about how he would die from the cuteness. Nazta began shifting on his side - catching his attention.

 

“You want a piggyback ride?” The girl nodded, and Keith carefully shifted his hold to allow her to maneuver across his torso. She started slipping for just a second - her sharp nails  _ digging into his neck _ \-  before another pair of hands guided her legs around his middle. Keith glanced over at Lance, who patted his shoulder with a warm smile.

 

Allura then gestured for the group to follow her as she started down the hall, and everyone easily followed. Her hand slipped into Lotor’s seemingly out of habit, and Keith’s eyes widened when he noticed their matching silver bracelets with inlaid black gemstones. He knew they had married for peace a couple years ago, but he couldn’t help wondering if it was out of genuine love as well.

 

Behind him, he overheard Hunk, Pidge, and Matt whispering excitedly to eachother. Meanwhile, Lance hovered at his side. Keith glanced over occasionally, and though Lance was always looking forward, he practically radiated happiness. For the first time in a long time, Keith felt calm and contented - like he was safe, like he was...home. As the realization crossed his mind, Keith’s blood ran cold.

 

\--

 

_ The next few days were spent trying to stay sane as the ship’s pilots were finding a place to land. Aggi saved Keith from a few more sleepless nights, but it didn’t erase the fact that nothing was happening on the ship. Many of the residents felt the same way. Some started playing instruments in the cafeteria - which created large crowds in the cafeteria full of dancing, sharing food, and talking. Sometimes the music sounded appealing to Keith, but he always left before too many people arrived. The temporary melodies didn’t help with his nerves - which were wearing thin. _

 

_ Finally, Keith woke at the beginning of an active-cycle to the sound of excited chatter. Most of the rooms down his hall were completely open, with aliens milling about. Keith’s first thought was to talk to Aggi about what was happening, so he started down to the guard station. Halfway there, two young reptilian aliens informed him that everyone was gathering in the cafeteria for a meeting. He hesitated to go, but had no choice except to accompany the kids as they physically dragged him along with the other aliens. They let go and scampered off once they reached the cafeteria doors. _

 

_ Keith immediately recognized the captain of the ship standing at the other end of the room. Tables and chairs had been moved to provide them a stage to speak. The air was thick with silent anticipation. With a smooth voice, they were informing the refugees that their ship would be arriving at a large Galran refugee center connected by three moons not an active-cycle’s trip from their current location. Many of those gathered started cheering. Their voices reverberated around the room, and Keith covered his ears in a feeble attempt to drown out the noise. Guards spread out, gently quieting the loudest cheerleaders. _

 

_ Though the captain seemed a little ruffled, they resumed their speech with confidence. Keith listened intently as they explained that the ship would have to go into hyperspeed in order to reach the refugee center within the active-cycle. Many of the ship’s non-essential functions would either be in low-power mode or would be shut off completely to preserve enough energy. They announced that all non-staff members were not allowed out of their rooms save for emergencies or necessary biological functions. Some quiet protests could be heard. _

 

_ Keith was buzzing with anticipation. They wouldn’t be stuck on this ship for much longer. He had no idea what was awaiting them at this new refuge, but he hardly felt nervous. No matter what happened next, he knew he was ready for it - ready for anything other than the mindless waiting on the ship. So, when the captain took their leave after their announcement, Keith followed the lead of the people around him and hurried back to his room. _

 

_ He was mildly surprised to find his roommate awake. They had only been awake simultaneously a handful of times since they both arrived on the ship. The insectoid was sitting on the edge of their cot, and Keith was only given a brief glance before they resumed an erratic clicking. As usual, the lights were completely off, but Keith had long ago gotten used to his roommate’s love of the dark. _

 

_ Feeling slightly awkward, Keith walked over to his cot and sat down. They had never talked before. He wasn’t even quite sure that they could communicate together. Still, he felt that he should at least give it a shot. So, he waved and gave a quiet introduction - something he realized they’d never done. The alien’s clicking softened as they watched his hand move, but their head still returned to facing the floor. Keith didn’t mean to stare, but it was the first time he got a good look at them. They reminded him of a pillbug - with a layered shell, short antennae, and twelve legs which laid limp at their sides. He wondered what they were feeling. _

 

_ A knocking at the door caused both of them to jump. His roommate glanced up quickly, then back down again, their antennae moving around. Curious, Keith went to answer the door. He was met with familiar golden fur and silver armor. He began to smile until he noticed Aggi’s solemn face and crossed arms. _

 

_ Keith glanced back at his roommate before exiting the room and letting the door close. Aggi didn’t meet his eyes for a while. Keith noticed their fingers flexing around their arm - a nervous tick he noticed Aggi doing often. Just when Keith was about to speak up, they sighed and their hands dropped to their sides. Then, they lifted their head and the look on their face settled something cold in Keith’s chest. _

 

_ They reached for Keith’s hands and he easily relented. They smiled a sad, bittersweet smile, then explained that they might not see eachother again. The new refuge was far too expansive - there was little chance they’d meet once again if they were on separate moons. Aggi’s job would prevent him from moving around too often. Keith felt his heart sinking further and further as Aggi talked. _

 

_ Then he caught himself. He should’ve known that they couldn’t stay like this forever. He never should’ve allowed himself to get so close. It wasn’t like him. He stared at the floor, willing the shameful burning behind his eyes to go away. Instead, his vision began blurring, and Keith retracted his hands to wipe at his eyes. He couldn’t hear what Aggi was saying at that point, but he could only imagine how he looked to them. _

 

_ Large hands grabbed at his head and back and he was dragged forward into a large, soft chest. Though his face was smushed against armor, he unconsciously sunk into the embrace. Keith shook in their arms as he made a last-ditch effort not to cry. It became harder to take deep breaths, each one stuttering before he forced his throat to cooperate. Aggi’s soft, soft voice told him it was okay to cry. Then, they gently stroked his hair, and after the first tear rolled down his cheek, Keith couldn’t stop the rest. So he stopped trying. _

 

_ They were only able to stay like that for a few minutes before the lights shut off in the hallway. They broke apart slowly. Neither of them watched the other leave. Keith returned inside, his roommate sitting exactly the same as he left them. He ignored them in favor of crawling into the sheets on his cot, sniffling and rubbing at his tear-stained face. At some point, he drifted into sleep and dreamed of desolate planets. _

  
  


_ \-- _

 

The group was too big to fit into one elevator, so Keith hastily crammed into an elevator with Lance and Hunk. Nazta’s head rested on his shoulder, and she’d been oddly quiet for quite a few minutes. Lance pressed a button to start the descent, and Keith carefully kept his gaze away from the glass. 

 

He flinched when Lance’s eyes suddenly met his, and he realized that he’d been watching the other man. Lance didn’t seem angry, though. Instead, his face melted as he looked at something just over Keith’s shoulder. He glanced behind him and noticed Nazta’s tranquil, sleeping face. A single fang was barely poking past her lips.

 

Keith felt the urge to clutch at his chest. He was never prepared for her cutest moments. Hunk was softly squealing on his other side, and Lance shushed him. Keith turned to the other two with a huge grin. Lance looked up from whispering to Hunk, and suddenly Keith was pinned with the softest smile he had seen in years. He swore his heart skipped a beat.

 

Lance chuckled. “Man, I wish you could stay with us.” His smile faltered and his eyes widened, almost like he surprised himself. Keith got so lost in looking at all the new features of Lance’s face that it took an embarrassingly long moment to register what the other man said. It felt like lightning raced down his body once his brain finally got caught up.

 

“Um - what do you mean?” Why was it so hard to swallow all of a sudden?

 

Lance looked to the side. “I mean, you probably can’t come with us, right? You - you’ve got a child, man! And probably a house, too.” He looked pointedly at Keith. “You couldn’t abandon all that just for Voltron - just to come back to a war, right?” He almost sounded bitter.

 

What could he even say to that?  _ Yes _ , the desperate part of his brain supplied.  _ No _ , the logical part responded. Keith was torn. 

 

He shuffled under the weight of his daughter’s sleeping form. He couldn’t meet the gaze of his friends, so he watched his shoes instead. He felt his ears pop as the elevator kept descending. When the silence stretched too long, Hunk spoke up.

 

“Well, we could talk to Allura about it. We’ll be staying here a few days for negotiations anyways, so it’s not like we don’t have time. That is - uh - if you’d like us to ask.”

 

“...sure.”

 

“Wait, are you sure?” Lance and Hunk responded immediately.

 

“Yeah man, Lance is right, is it really okay?” Hunk looked genuinely concerned. Keith almost wanted to laugh.

 

“Well, I’ve got time to consider, right? If I can even stay,” Keith responded. He was keeping his hope on a leash - giving it a little room, but not letting it free.

 

Hunk and Lance looked at eachother. Their faces contorted and they gestured wildly around while never breaking eye contact. After a few seconds of the strange back-and-forth, they both nodded and turned back to Keith.

 

“Alright. So I don’t think the room situation would be a problem, but we’ll see what Allura says, okay?” Keith nodded and Lance seemed satisfied enough. The elevator moved forward, and the doors opened a second later. Keith was encouraged to go first and he saw the rest of the group emerge from their elevators a few meters away. After following behind Keith, Lance jogged forward and tapped on Allura’s shoulder, then whispered in her ear. She waved him off with a nod. Lance gestured for Hunk and Keith to follow them.

 

They trekked back to the entrance in relative silence. Pidge and Matt were murmuring casually to one another. On both sides of the hallway, aliens worked in their offices - typing, writing, or talking with clients. Keith wondered what they were here for.

 

When they reached the entrance, Allura stopped and let go of Lotor’s hand. She turned and faced Keith. “Now Keith, there will likely be another gathering on the street as we walk back to the lions. You should go ahead of us.” She paused. “Do you have a communication device?”

 

Keith pulled out his phone. “Yeah, I have this.”

 

“Excellent!” Allura pulled a round disk from her belt - one that looked way more expensive than Keith could afford at the moment - and began typing. A loading circle popped up, then Altean writing replaced it. “I’m going to sync my device to yours to attain your comm. number. With these, we should be able to keep in touch,” She explained.

 

Keith’s phone lit up with a notification, and he hit accept. Allura nodded, then placed her device - phone? - back onto her belt. She stepped forward - hesitating for just a second - and lightly pressed her body against his, carefully avoiding Nazta still sleeping on his back. Keith allowed himself to lean into the semi-hug, which lasted for several seconds until Allura finally pulled away.

 

“Safe journey home, Keith. It was lovely to see you again. Maybe we’ll hear from you again soon?” She smiled, though Keith could see the sadness in her eyes.

 

“Of course,” he replied, because how could he deny her? How could he deny any of them?

 

Lotor held the door open for him on his way out. They exchanged brief nods as he passed. Then, he was outside in the noon heat. Allura was right - people were once again lining the streets before the paladins would emerge. He noticed quite a few heads turn in his direction, but he was hardly paid any attention as he hastily walked down the steps. Nazta began to stir on his back and he heard her groan drowsily.

 

“Dad?” Came her soft voice.

 

“Yeah, sweetheart?”

 

“Where are we going?”

 

“We’re going home.” Keith started swerving through the crowds of people - which didn’t move despite him having a child clinging to his back.

 

He felt Nazta scramble upright and Keith grunted. “What? But...I didn’t get to say goodbye.”

 

“It’s alright, Nazta. We’ll probably see them again soon. Let’s get you home so you can nap.” She eventually settled back down again. He heard the crowd go wild behind him, but they were already a good distance away. Despite the growing ache in his back and arms, he carried Nazta down the streets, all the way home.

 

\--

 

_ Keith woke to the sound of clicking and to soft nudges on his head. He jolted upwards, and his insectoid roommate curled into themself, then let out a string of clicks. Keith felt slightly guilty. They motioned for him to follow them. _

 

_ The hallway lights were bright when they stepped out. Groups of people were talking to eachother excitedly as they shuffled down the halls with their belongings. Keith and his roommate cautiously exited their room. The smaller alien stuck close to him as they passed many vacant rooms. The chattering of various kinds of aliens flooded Keith’s ears, and bodies pressed in close to the two as the passages narrowed or turned. His skin prickled and it was quickly becoming too much for him to handle. _

 

_ When he reached the stairs, he descended slowly and watched his feet. He had lost track of his roommate - or ex-roommate now - some time ago, but he wasn’t concerned. As far as he knew, they were an adult. He thought he recalled seeing other pillbug-looking aliens during his time on the ship. _

 

_ As his feet reached the bottom step, he glanced up above the aliens surrounding him. They would be walking straight through the medical bay now, which thankfully seemed empty. Every room was open and clear of any occupants. Keith glanced around him and took note of the layout. If he remembered correctly, they would soon be descending the stairs leading to the loading area. He sighed in relief. _

 

_ A few guards stood at the very edge of the procession of people, motioning them towards the exit. Though he tried not to, Keith found himself glancing at their faces. He knew what he was looking for, and he wasn’t seeing it. A mix of shame and sadness stirred in his chest with each passing unfamiliar face. When he reached the next set of stairs, Keith forced his gaze to the ground. _

 

_ He kept his eyes straight ahead once in the loading area. It was significantly emptier compared to his last stroll through - devoid of containers full of cargo to support the ship. Footsteps and whispers echoed off of the metal walls, and Keith grinded his teeth to keep himself grounded. He focused on the new gusts of wind and bright light coming from ahead. It wouldn’t be too much longer, he told himself. _

 

_ And sure enough, he felt one cool gust of air on his face before he stepped out of the ship and onto solid blue rock. He looked up. A large forcefield protected the moon from the expansive stars above. They seemed so distant and so unfamiliar, but Keith took comfort in the fact that he was under a sky. He was snapped out of his stargazing by a nudge to his back - reminding him that they were all supposed to continue moving. _

 

_ He followed the group up to a large gate where guards were dividing them into four lines. Keith filed into the furthest left line and glanced ahead of him. The people ahead of him were showing their tablets to an alien in a booth. Keith had long ago realized he hadn’t brought his tablet in the escape, and knew it would come back to bite him in the ass later. Now was that time. _

 

_ A pink alien walked up to the booth and clicked and whined, showing all six of their empty limbs. The gatekeeper motioned for them to proceed to the left side of the view, and they disappeared from sight. Keith bit his lip. _

 

_ It felt like an eternity before it was his turn. Fortunately, quite a few aliens were also in the same boat as him, since many were directed to the left of the booth. The gatekeeper resembled something like a canine, but not quite due to the high angle of its red eyes and its upturned snout. It sent a shiver down his spine. He put his hands up and was almost immediately met with a hand - paw? - to the left. He followed the order and noticed that he was now on the other side of the gate. He was technically in. _

 

_ A path of bricks led down the side of the booth and the gate, away from the entrance of the actual sanctuary. A guard stood nearby and shoved him down the path, causing Keith to stumble before he caught himself. He cast a fiery glare behind him before he continued forward. It wasn’t worth it. Two more guards stood along the straight path - both of which ignored him. He followed the path up to the door of a large, square building. He glanced back once before he pushed open the door. It swung shut behind him and he found himself in a reception center. His mood sunk when he realized it was the same processing system as the first sanctuary. Multiple desks were set up with receptionists talking with aliens in line. A door was centered at the other end of the room, where each alien was eventually directed after they were checked in. Keith sighed and trudged up to the shortest line, already preparing himself for another long hour spent running tests on him. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to make aliens seem weird without being too, well, alien. But if you like weirder aliens, let me know!


	4. Talk Some Sense to Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ughhhh I'm so sorry for getting this posted so late. School started, and I have not felt up to writing every day. Updates are probably gonna be every couple of months now, and I apologize for that!! I hope this fic is still enjoyable though!!  
> Anyway, I enjoyed writing this chapter, especially a certain scene ((which I've been looking forward to!)) It's been interesting planning the character development between flashbacks and compared to the present! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as much as I do!

Keith managed to relax most of the evening. When he and Nazta finally returned home, he immediately walked to her room. She remained in a deep sleep as he pried her off of his back and tucked her in.  _ All the excitement of the day must have really caught up to her _ , Keith guessed. While she slept, he changed into lounging clothes - loose pants and a tank top - and watched wildlife and history documentaries in the living room. It was as great of a time-killer as it was a distraction.

 

A couple hours later and Nazta emerged from her room, bleary-eyed and stomach grumbling. Keith hurried into the kitchen to start on dinner. He noted that the fridge was getting low on food. All they had left was meat akin to beef, and some spices that needed to be chilled. He cooked absentmindedly, and almost burned their meal by staring too hard at the floor tiles. Nazta shot him a slightly curious, but mostly impatient look from her seat on the counter. Ignoring her, he hastily resumed cooking.

 

Once the meat had been served, they went to the couch to eat. As he chewed, Keith wondered about his job. Would he be able to quit? He had to go to work tomorrow, but maybe he wouldn’t have to the next day. If he quit his job, he’d have to inform his landlord, and they’d have to start packing. Would he be able to do that? Nazta slapped his arm to alert him that he’d been staring off into space. By the time he came to, his meal had gone a little less than luke-warm, and he ignored Nazta’s curious looks in favor of eating just a little more.

 

When she was full, Nazta was once again tired. Her head lolled to the side, and Keith started when it bumped into his shoulder. He watched her sleeping face, which was serene and relaxed. Gently, he tapped her knee and received a growl in return. Keith sighed and growled back, which forced her to finally wake up. He snatched her plate and she trudged to her room as he went to set the plates in the sink. After that, he waited patiently until Nazta’s call told him to come in. She was wearing her favorite red, striped pajamas under the blankets, and her eyes were drooping even as Keith approached her bed. He bent down and hugged her goodnight, then turned off the lights as he left.

 

By then, the sky was dark and the blinds needed to be drawn. Keith walked over and grasped the strings, but he paused just a moment to gaze out upon the city. Thousands of stars twinkled in the dusky sky, with three small moons providing dim lighting to the dark planet. Down below, the streets glowed blue and yellow and calmly bustled with vehicles and the occasional pedestrian. Usually, the night skyline would calm something deep within him. Tonight, however, the stars made that same something tug painfully at his chest. It left him feeling vaguely breathless.

 

In his mind, Keith envisioned himself looking out from a large window on an even larger ship as it traveled through space - the same space that could be filled with both indescribable beauties and horrors. Even though his life held such danger in space, Keith felt himself yearn for it as if it had always been his home. As he stared transfixed at the stars, he felt almost naked. Over the years, he learned to squash the feeling of longing for the people and places he could never return to. Now, however, they were coming back - twice as hard. He let them wash over him, let them remind him of home and family, of experiencing the connection to Red, and of the thrill of winning a battle and saving entire civilizations.

 

This time, sky provided clarity - a clarity of emotions that Keith had been denying. He always wanted to go back, to live and fight alongside his team - his family - but continuing to move farther and farther apart. Over time, he learned to bury those feelings as he lived and jumped from sanctuary to sanctuary. But in that moment, his will was slipping. Keith clutched his head as too many different emotions and memories were desperately trying to present themselves all at once.

 

He quickly closed the remaining blinds and shuffled to his room. He didn’t bother turning the lights on when he walked in. Instead, he flopped onto his bed and bounced twice before he buried his face into the pillow, forcing back tears he never felt coming on. He held his breath, counting ten seconds before exhaling in an angry huff. It never got any easier to cry.

 

But he did anyways. One image tore through his mind and flashed once before being submerged in his consciousness once again, and it was enough to send him hurtling over the edge. Shiro’s laughing smile lit up his features, rounding his cheeks and crinkling his eyes. The white tuft of his hair fell across his sweat-slicked face, tickling his nose. He was still in armor, stepping out of Black. Keith remembers that he caught him off-guard with a deadpan joke that he personally didn’t find very funny, but it had sent Shiro into a coughing fit. A whine turned into a sob, and then the tears were flowing freely from Keith’s eyes into the soft fabric of his pillow. He clutched it like a lifeline.

 

More images flashed through his mind: the large figure of Blue inside the desert cave, the goo-covered faces of Allura and Coran in their food fight, the distraught faces of his teammates in the empty cockpit of Black, the disappointed frown on Kolivan’s face. And for the first time in a long time, he allowed himself to experience the emotions coming to him. He let them grab hold, tug him under the waters, then pull him back out only to dunk him back in again. He smothered his sobs as best he could since sound carried so well in their small apartment.

 

After what felt like hours, the tears started slowing down. Static filled his mind and made his body sluggish as he crawled out of bed. Mindlessly, he trudged to the bathroom, where he splashed his face with water. The static receded only slightly. He quickly did his night routine and was sinking back into his bed a few minutes later. He chucked the damp pillow across the room, where it laid discarded next to his dresser. With his cheek resting against his arms, he fell asleep less than a minute later.

 

\--

 

_ Nights on the three moons of Neratus were  _ cold _. Half of a week was spent in darkness from the shadow of the large planet. During those days, Keith only left his house if it was absolutely necessary. When the night cycle fell on the moons, he curled up as tight as he could in the thin blankets given to him, shivering even as he slept. His one-room stone house barely kept him from hypothermia. _

 

_ The longer he lived there, the more Keith learned about the third moon of Neratus. For one, most of the population consisted of Galra or half-Galra refugees. There were old residents, weary-eyed families, and single children frequently wandering the streets when the moons orbited in front of the planet. Keith watched them with curiosity. He’d hardly seen Galra outside of war zones, and here they were tending to eachother as family, as friends, as an entire community. Many worked everyday - repairing homes, cooking food, growing crops. They were just like him, Galra-blooded people looking for safety. _

 

_ A couple weeks after moving into the sanctuary, a short, stocky Galra appeared at his door and told him he would be assigned a job. Keith told her about his skills - piloting, some electrical knowledge, fighting, a growing databank of technological jargon. She typed his information on a tablet, then informed him he would become a maintenance worker. He would report to the maintenance center in the morning to get started. Keith didn’t complain - the waiting around in his freezing home was leaving him antsy. _

 

_ In the morning, he noticed strange discoloration in his cheeks when he looked in the glass of his bedroom window. He peered and poked at the skin, but nothing seemed amiss, so he brushed it off and dressed himself. He began his walk to the maintenance center - which was nearly five blocks away from his house. A hovercart hummed past him, and he huddled in tighter underneath the shawl slung over his shoulders. The entire sanctuary was dim, save for the lights shining from the houses and buildings he passed. Many people were roaming the streets with Keith, but they paid neither him nor eachother any mind as they focused straight ahead. Keith did the same. _

 

_ After nearly 10 minutes, Keith was walking up the ramp to the maintenance center. The building was large and rectangular with a high, domed roof. It was hard to miss. As the front doors opened for him, a wave of warm air rushed over him and his body shuddered. He walked forward to the reception area and checked in. After a few minutes, the receptionist pointed him down a large hallway to his right and he obeyed, surveying every closed door he passed. None of them came with labels he could understand. _

 

_ He passed an open door, which appeared to be a large workshop. Cautiously, he stepped over the threshold and into a large, furnished garage. A group of four aliens were lounging on a dirty couch in the center of the room - each of them wearing matching red uniforms which covered their entire bodies. Tables were set up along the walls - each holding tools or bright red boxes. Larger boxes stood in each corner of the room, towering over the tables. As soon as Keith stepped foot into the room, a grey-furred alien noticed him, and the rest of the group turned to peer at him. _

 

_ A bony, scarlet reptilian alien hopped up and walked towards him. They gnashed their teeth, then gave a gravelly greeting. Keith tried his best not to stare at the long fangs and explained he had been assigned a job there. The alien gnashed their teeth again and patted his shoulders. Then, they guided him around the room, showing him the equipment they used and introducing him to the other maintenance workers. _

 

_ At the end of the tour, the alien - Ravra - shoved a red box into his arms - nearly sending him to the floor. They crooned and helped him set the box down again, then went to find another box. As soon as they walked away, the grey, furry alien - Iruhoo - came to greet him. Though they appeared to be cat-like, they had a small black beak. Keith watched them carefully as they lifted his arm and studied his hand - peering at his nails and squeezing his wrist with their nimble grey hands. Then, they released their hold and sung a quick, odd melody filled with a combination of rumbling and tweets. _

 

_ A small female Galra - Badora - ruffled Iruhoo on their head, gently cutting off their song. The alien smoothed down the fur on top of their head and stepped back. The Galra held out her hand, and he shook it. Her hair was pulled back in a large, tight bun at the top of her head - displaying small, black ridges. He guessed they were horns. _

 

_ Ravra came back with a smaller red box, and gestured for him to take it. When he did, it was still quite heavy, but it didn’t send him to the floor. Keith smiled shakily, and Badora chuckled and patted him on the shoulder. A beeping echoed around the room, and everyone’s head turned to the male Galra still sitting on the couch. Tovson picked up a flashing disc and tapped it. A voice then rang out and issued a command - they were to report to an area south of their location to fix a leaking gas pipe. Ravra crooned and Badora pushed him forward to the door as the rest of them began grabbing tools. His first job. _

 

\--

 

A loud beeping cut through the blissful silence. Begrudgingly, Keith roused himself and opened one eye, making a quick sweep of the room. Light was beginning to shine through his window. His communication device was flashing in time with the fast, alarming beeps -  _ his third alarm.  _ Keith peeled his face from his arms and tore himself from the blanket cocoon he had made during the night. He slapped at the device - which finally shut off after the fifth hit - and then made a beeline to the bathroom. Keith hardly ever slept through alarms, and that thought repeatedly echoed inside his head as he rushed his morning routine. In his haste, he didn’t bother to fix his awful case of bedhead.

 

Less than five minutes later, Keith burst from his room and turned into the kitchen. There wasn’t enough time to fix a proper breakfast, so he reached in the empty fridge and grabbed the leftovers from last night. Though he never liked using it, he powered up the alien equivalent of a microwave. He set the container down on the raised stone platform, pressed the number pad next to it, and walked out of the kitchen to Nazta’s room. He knocked just loud enough to be heard. A groan answered him not even a second later.

 

“Nazta, wake up! Dad slept in so we gotta hurry!” Keith tried to keep the guilt out of his voice.

 

He walked away when he finally heard the frantic rustling of sheets and muffled footsteps. A melodic beeping came from the kitchen, and he hurried back. The darkened glass walls were lowering back into the platform and the top piece with installed lasers was retreating underneath it. On top of the platform, the food was steaming. Ignoring the burning in his hands, Keith swiftly moved the container to the counter. Then, he fetched two plates and forks and began scooping out the fresh food.

 

The smell of cooked meat had no doubt started drifting throughout the apartment. Keith rushed to turn on the coffee maker, which wheezed and puffed as it started making the piping hot green liquid. He glanced around on the counter for his favorite mug, but remembered he set it in the sink. He pouted when he also remembered that it was full of dirty dishes. He would have to wash them later.

 

Sunlight had just started creating a soft glow in the kitchen when Nazta rounded the corner in a blur. Keith winced as he heard the scratch of her nails on the wall as she gripped it to slow her momentum. She looked out of breath, and he was pretty sure her striped shirt was inside-out.

 

“I can’t believe you slept in so late!” Nazta said as she scurried to the counter to get her plate. She took it and ran into the living room, already shovelling food into her mouth.

 

Keith felt mildly offended, but brushed it off in favor of grabbing a travel mug and filling it. He took his own plate and hurried away to his room. He spared a glance at Nazta sitting on the couch as she tried to multitask between eating and fumbling with the TV remote. He hoped she wouldn’t choke. 

 

Once inside his room, he set the plate down on his nightstand, and took a bite. Then, he rushed to his dresser and pulled out his uniform - a baggy, white shirt accompanied by a pair of baggy, white pants. He tugged on his pants, took a bite from his plate, shoved on his shirt, then took another bite from his plate. Quickly, he reached into his nightstand drawer and pulled out a hair tie to at least pull back his messy mane. Light was steadily creeping further into the room, creating a startling illumination that made Keith’s feet move faster.

 

A couple minutes later, he burst out of his room, a now empty plate in hand. Nazta was still sitting on the couch, tearing into her food. When she glanced up at him, he motioned for her to hurry up. He turned into the kitchen and just balanced his plate on top of a precariously perched pot in the sink. Moments later, Nazta rushed in and handed hers over - which he balanced directly on top of his own plate.

 

They were rushing out the front door just a couple minutes later. Keith took Nazta’s hand and led them both down the stairs to the lobby, narrowly dodging a startled couple coming up the steps. They tore through the golden lobby and out onto the street - which was already packed with people. Keith groaned and guided Nazta through the crowds - tightly gripping her smaller hand.

 

Normally, Keith would walk Nazta down to her school. It wasn’t extremely far away, and he figured the exercise was healthy. However, it seemed that the sidewalks were only getting more and more crowded, and Keith had to bite back his frustrated complaints. So, he waited an extra minute at a street corner to catch a hovertaxi. When one finally stopped for them, Keith clambered into the backseat after he ushered Nazta in first. He paid the automatic vehicle and input destinations with shaky hands.

 

Less than five minutes later, Keith was saying goodbye to Nazta as she climbed out of the vehicle and ran to the front doors of her school. Then, the taxi was off again - this time to his work. During the short drive, Keith briefly questioned how much he really enjoyed his job. 

 

\--

 

_ He finally had a routine, a set schedule, and there was always something to do. Even when he didn’t have to work for a day or two, Keith would sometimes show up to work. On these days, he would either work himself to exhaustion, or he would just lie on the couch for hours. Either way, he reasoned that it was better than being cooped up at home - where the loneliness was so much colder than the temperature. _

 

_ To his surprise, his co-workers accepted him into their group from day one. Keith had the feeling of belonging, something that he hadn’t felt in a long time. He’d catch himself leaning into Badora’s personal space, or gently ruffling Iruhoo’s fluffy head, or unwittingly shuffling closer to Ravra on the couch, or exchanging amused glances with Tovson across the room whenever someone made a joke. It put him on edge. _

 

_ He tried distancing himself one day. He kept close tabs on where his limbs were, on how far he was leaning into someone, on how he would react when they touched him or spoke to him. Ravra and Iruhoo, with their keen senses, caught onto Keith the day he started it. They physically dragged him into a group hug - which actually happened often - at Badora’s suggestion. Closed in by their bodies, Keith felt his chest constricting - he couldn’t breathe, his head ached. And then he started crying. The tears rolled freely down his cheeks, and he bit down hard on his lip in a pitiful attempt to stop himself. Ravra and Iruhoo cautiously backed away. Badora yanked him into a hug and Keith leaned down into her shoulder. He was ashamed, but he freely soaked the fabric of her red uniform. _

 

_ After that day, hugs started becoming a daily routine. _

 

_ Sometimes the others would need them, too. One day, Keith came to work and could hear wailing from all the way down the hall. When he peeked through the workshop door, the others sat on the couch with their arms wrapped around Iruhoo. Her sibling had finally succumbed to a long-term disease in the night cycle. Another day, when Tovson learned of an old friend’s death on another planet, Badora quietly excused the both of them and spent nearly half the day with him outside of work. The other three never complained as they divided the Galran’s work between themselves. When he came back in the evening to check out, his sad eyes were bloodshot. They swarmed him with hugs. _

 

_ It felt like a home, not just a place to stay. He told them about Shiro, reminisced about Earth, and described what little he could remember of his parents. Though he carefully avoided details about Voltron, he trusted them, and they trusted him. Tovson admitted to being a former die-hard Galra soldier, and he became misty-eyed as he recalled witnessing the destruction of multiple planets. Badora lamented the destruction of her own home planet after a small group of Galra led an unsuccessful rebellion. She was one of only a handful of survivors. Ravra described the loss they felt when their mate went missing and their full nest was swept away by a river of chemicals that swept across their planet. The room was quiet as they removed their boots and revealed the gnarly, purple scar tissue spanning from their toes to their knees. Badora translated for Iruhoo as she described the slow decay of her home planet. The atmosphere became too toxic to live on, and most organisms were slowly but surely dying out. The survivors were forced to evacuate. _

 

_ Keith knew he became too comfortable. Though he dreaded the freezing night cycles, he would take all of them over the blazes that would sweep mercilessly across the moons - burning hotter and brighter than anything Keith had ever seen. Not even an hour after Keith retired for the night, a world-shattering explosion shook the very foundation of his stone home. Warships roared overhead, but nothing could drown out the sounds of panic and despair all around him. Soldier droids were dropping everywhere from the sky, slaying and capturing everyone in sight. Keith knew he had to run. He bolted from his door and ran across the street, ducking in between houses and buildings. The nearby emergency center was his only hope, and he continued making quick dashes in and out of cover on his way there. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a barely-alive Galran guard crawling on the ground. He called Keith over, and with his last few breaths, he shoved his still functional blaster into his hands. The man collapsed immediately after, and Keith only spared him one final glance before he fled the area. _

 

_ Without delay, Keith continued on. He had been making steady progress around the burning buildings and debris littering the streets. He saw a clear alleyway between two intact homes and made a break for them. However, he cursed when he realized that the small alley ended with a tall fence - too tall to climb. He cursed again when he heard the metallic clanging of droids headed his way. He’d been spotted. Quickly, Keith ran to the right house’s wall and lied in wait until the droids rounded the corner. They fell to the ground with identical sparking bullet marks in their heads. Keith peeked into the street, and began running down the sidewalk once he was sure the coast was clear. Though the debris surrounding him made it difficult to identify his location, he tried to visualize where the emergency center would be. _

 

_ It was then that he heard a loud, piercing cry. He jumped and immediately aimed his gun at the noise - a Galran child. Across the street, she was crawling on her hands and knees from a ruined, blazing building. Her dress was smoldering and her face was covered in soot. When she spotted him, she stopped and wailed in desperately, which was cut off quickly by a coughing fit that rattled her entire body. Keith’s legs started running before he could stop them. He flung his weapon to the side and landed on his knees in front of her. He wasted no time in slipping his arms under her back and knees. _

 

_ She wriggled and sobbed weakly, but Keith maintained a firm grip as he took off again, carefully hopping over large chunks of stone littering the street. He glanced around every so often, making sure they weren’t spotted. On the way, he only saw one stray droid - which he easily evaded when it turned away from him. _

 

_ As he rounded a building, Keith could suddenly see the emergency center in the distance. Half of the building was in ruins, but the multiple escape ships surrounding it were still intact. A crowd of frightened people were pouring through the front gate, which was closely watched by armed guards. Keith picked up his pace to merge with the crowd, trying his best to get ahead. The girl in his arms whimpered and wrapped her arms around his neck. He pushed forward with more vigor, but a rough hand grabbed at his shoulder and yanked him to the side. He cried out before he realized he was face to face with a guard, who looked less than pleased. They glanced down at the child, and Keith only had to ask once before he was reluctantly let go. _

 

_ Once past the gate, he followed a smaller group as they were directed to a large ship to the left of the ruined emergency building. Explosions reverberated nearby, causing everyone to rush faster towards the ship in a frenzy. Keith barely kept himself from being thrown to the ground as he was pushed and shoved. He ignored the still bodies on the ground being used as rugs. _

 

_ As soon as they crossed the threshold of the ship, the girl started squirming and whining. Though Keith wasn’t quite sure if it was safe to let her down, he relented. He let her slide through his arms and angled her so she could balance on her feet. Her toes brushed the floor and she squealed and tugged on his arm. Her face tightened in pain and tears welled up in her scared, yellow eyes. He snatched her back up again, and held her like before, shushing softly. Upon inspection, he realized that angry, red burns and small cuts covered her feet. He grimaced, and immediately began searching for a doctor. _

 

_ He ended up wandering around the massive waiting room, making futile attempts to catch the attention of anyone professional-looking. He watched aliens with badges briskly walking with bags of fluid and bandages, too immersed in their job to spare any attention towards them. Keith decided to check for the familiar armor of the guards, but most were too busy ushering in more people. He was getting frustrated, and the girl was getting antsy. Occasionally, she would whine pitifully, but she never spoke. _

 

_ He felt lost. Everyone was a blur. Fear hung heavy all around the room - it either sent people to the floor, or spurred them into action. They hurried past, and Keith could only watch helplessly as he held an injured child in his arms. He hadn’t even seen anyone familiar.  _ Yet _ , he firmly reminded himself. _

 

_ After what seemed like an eternity, someone approached them and asked about their conditions. Keith fumbled for a second, then informed her of the girl’s burns. The Galra - who appeared to be a volunteer - offered to take her. Keith shook his head. He wanted to make sure she would be safe. The volunteer nodded and motioned for him to follow. _

 

_ She led him to an actual nurse who was just finishing dressing a grisly wound on the arm of another Galra. The nurse turned to them and took the girl out of Keith’s arms before he could so much as protest. They gingerly set her down in a clear area a few steps away, and began checking her vital signs with various small devices. Keith sat next to the child, watching each movement. As the nurse checked her temperature, the girl stared straight at him. Her wide eyes searched his face, and tears welled up in her eyes again. Keith put a hand on her shoulder and promised her everything would be okay. Mentally, he prayed that he could keep that promise. _

 

_ When they finished with the girl’s vital signs, the nurse moved on to examining her whole body, gently poking around her abdomen and limbs and watching carefully for reactions. The girl visibly tensed as the nurse prodded lower and lower down her legs. They never touched the angry burns on her feet, but they lifted each leg, briefly examining each foot. They reached a conclusion quickly, and pulled out a white band of plastic, which they wrapped around the girl’s wrist. With a nod, they promptly left. _

 

_ Keith blinked, then looked down at the still scared child. Her eyes locked onto his, and she began to shake. Wordlessly, one of her small hands reached for Keith’s. His hand completely enveloped hers, and he squeezed it a few times as he brushed away the mohawk-like hair from her face. Keith made himself comfortable, guessing that it was going to be a long night. _

 

\--

 

The sun illuminated the sky with a crimson glow slowly followed by a deep indigo. Nazta clung to Keith’s hand as they walked down the steps of the large school. The school plaza was littered with parents and guardians picking up their children as well. Hovercars entered and exited the school at a steady pace. Keith watched all of them in a weary daze.

 

Once they were off of the school grounds, Keith glanced down at Nazta. Her eyelids drooped, and she was steadily lagging behind.

 

“Are you okay?” He asked, one eyebrow raised.

 

She looked up at him with bleary eyes. “Yeah, ‘m tired though…” She rubbed at her face, then through her hair. Keith hummed and turned forward once again. They had arrived at a street corner, and he waited patiently until they could walk across.

 

After they bustled to the other side, an idea struck Keith. “How would you like to eat at Shaza’s tonight?”

 

Nazta perked up immediately. “Sounds good.”

 

So, Keith led them down a different path through the city, into the residential part of the city. Here, the sidewalks were noticeably emptier. Anyone outside was usually leisurely walking by themself or with another person. The area was filled with large houses built for large families - most of which were native Itians. As well as being a calmer part of the city, it was home to small, family-owned restaurants. Keith learned about Shaza’s through a co-worker, and it became a hit from their very first visit.

 

After only a couple blocks, Nazta stopped and motioned for a piggyback ride. Keith obliged, and he carried her the rest of the way. Though his back was aching all too soon, he knew she was probably just as tired, maybe even more so. Plus, he really couldn’t say no to her sleepy face - which was probably one of her cutest faces in his opinion.

 

Shaza’s restaurant was nestled between two three-story houses belonging to his full extended family. He was head of the family, and his cousins, younger siblings, and children were all employed at his restaurant. Each of them had a passion for serving good food, going so far as to fully redo a meal that Nazta didn’t  _ quite _ like. Their restaurant had garnered a lot of attention from the rest of the city - earning them a reputation of quality food and friendly servers. So, it was no surprise when the place was swarming with people. Every outside table was taken, and Keith could only assume that nearly every inside table was taken as well.

 

Nazta slid off of his back and they walked past the tables to the door, which chimed upon being opened. A waiter heartily greeted them at the register and waved them over to the only empty table in the building. It sat under a window, and Keith was thankful for whatever force allowed it to be vacant for them. They sat together on one side and Keith grabbed menus for the both of them. Nazta set hers down not a minute later. She usually got a dish that reminded Keith of the cheap chicken quesadillas he’d get near the Garrison. As for him, he picked the first thing that he knew he liked, then set the menu down. He recalled the events of his day and a wave of nervousness washed over him.

 

During his break at work, he received a call from Allura. When he answered, Pidge’s excited voice blasted through the speakers. In her babbling, Keith barely understood that she stole Allura’s phone and that she asked about his day. The phone was quickly yanked away from her by Lance, and he began apologizing to Keith for interrupting his day. He giggled in between his words. They talked about eachother’s day for a few minutes. Then, Lance finally asked the question they both knew needed to be asked, and Keith fell silent. Hunk snatched away the phone shortly after, and he started talking to him before Allura’s voice sounded in the distance. Keith chuckled when the communication immediately cut off, but he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Lance’s question until he left work.

 

Now, as he and Nazta sat in Shaza’s restaurant, waiting for their orders to be taken, Keith wondered how he’s gonna ask his daughter if she wants to leave Itia. Things were finally going good for them there. Nazta has friends at school. They have a nice apartment with everything they would need. Keith has a stable job that’s perfect for his skillsets - even if he yearned for more than the standard issue cargo planes.

 

He jumped when the waitress arrived right next to him. He recognized her as Shaza’s youngest who’d only been working there for a couple of months. Though she looked out of breath, she smiled happily and her feathery ears fluttered.

 

“Nice to see you two! What would you like today?” She chirped.

 

Keith looked to Nazta. Nazta looked back. He waved his hand encouragingly and she sighed. “I’d like the Pock Qees patty, please,” She all but mumbled. The waitress quickly typed her order into her tablet and looked expectantly at Keith.

 

“Uh - one roasted Quidrak, please,” he said. The waitress typed it in, then waved goodbye as she skipped away to another table.

 

Keith missed the momentary distraction, because now was the perfect moment to talk to Nazta. He forced himself to turn to her and clear his throat. She blinked at him blearily, looking about five seconds away from planting her face on the table and taking a nap. Before he could form any more doubts, he said, “We need to talk.”

 

Immediately, Nazta’s eyes sobered up and his own widened before he backpedaled. “You’re not in trouble! I promise, uh…” Now he was floundering, great. He took a deep breath and folded his hands over the table. “I actually wanted to talk about...well, us...leaving?”  _ Fantastic. _

 

Nazta’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

 

Keith rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, when you fell asleep in the elevator at the town hall, I talked to Lance and Hunk and they said that we could, uh, probably come live with them if we wanted to. There’s some spare rooms, I guess.” He paused to gauge her expression. It was unreadable, but at least she seemed to be paying attention. He continued, “I know it would be a huge change - with, um, all of your friends at school, and then the apartment. Just - what do you think?” His thumb brushed over his fingers nervously.

 

Nazta’s gaze fell to the table. She seemed thoughtful and a lot more awake than before, but her shoulders still gave away her exhaustion. He wanted to give her time to think about it. She deserved an input in their decisions, and he wasn’t quite sure what she would decide. He never wondered if she thought about leaving again, though he’d guessed she would want to stay in one place for a long while. Itia had been their best home yet. It was safe, they had a great home, and even Keith enjoyed his time in the city despite the sheer amount of people.

 

He glanced around the noisy restaurant. Aliens of many different species were crammed in the same room together, eating and talking. Keith had been to so many planets that had multiple alien species living amongst eachother, but he’d never seen a city quite like Itia. He may not have even noticed, he realized with a scowl. When he was a paladin, he was so caught up in his own internal conflicts. He barely got a chance to appreciate the places he went, focusing instead on anything and everything that could go wrong at any moment.

 

An old pain twinged in his chest, so switched his train of thought. Maybe there were planets just like Itia somewhere. It wouldn’t be impossible - there were certainly many technologically advanced planets in the universe. As he wondered what those different cities would be like, an unfamiliar sensation replaced the ache in his chest. It took an embarrassingly long moment for him to realize it was excitement. Keith let the feeling wash over his body - he felt excited, the kind that made him want to  _ go _ and explore the galaxy again. It was almost akin to that much more familiar restless itch he got when he was cooped up for too long, except it made him nearly dizzy with possibilities. Briefly, he thought this was the thrill of being an explorer.

 

Keith’s thoughts were interrupted by a tug on his arm. He started and banged his hands on the underside of the table. He hissed and turned to look down at Natza, who was very much awake and looking very serious.

 

“You okay? You looked...weird,” she said, eyeing him curiously.

 

“Thanks,” he said sourly. Nazta merely shrugged one shoulder and folded her hands in her lap. She fixed him with an expectant stare. “I’m fine, Nazta, really. But did you - um...did you think about what I said?”

 

She nodded. “Yeah, but I’m not...sure…” She trailed off, and her gaze fell to the floor. Keith noticed the tense lines to her mouth.

 

“Hey, hey, you don’t have to decide right now. I just want you to...consider it for now,” he said softly. Slowly, she faced him again.

 

“Why are you asking? Are we gonna leave again?” She looked upset now, and Keith felt a stab of guilt in his heart.

 

“No - I mean, uh-” He stopped himself and took a moment to clear his throat, adding in a good cough. Nazta snorted. He started again, “I just want to know what you think. Lance and Hunk said there were extra rooms on the castleship, so if we wanted to...we could move in with Voltron. But I want to know what you think about it. I’m not gonna make a decision without you.” He smiled hesitantly.

 

Nazta’s brows furrowed once again, then her face broke into a surprised grin. “Wait, so you mean we could really move in with  _ Voltron _ ?” Though she still appeared weary, her curiosity and excitement shone through.

 

Her smile was highly infectious. “Yeah, if you want to.”

 

Her grin grew wider, exposing all of her sharp teeth. Then, she glanced over his shoulder and pointed. The waitress was coming back with their food, and she precariously twirled around tables and people. Keith feared for the large plates in both of her hands, but she seemed to know what she was doing. A second later, the steaming plates were gingerly being set down in front of them. He thanked the waitress, who informed them she would be back with drinks. Once again, she twirled away again, this time narrowly dodging her cousin pulling a full cart for a table on the other side of the restaurant. Keith snorted.

 

Nazta was already cutting up her dish. Keith cringed every time her fork squeaked against her plate, but he ignored it in favor of digging into his own. Though he hadn’t known what a Quidrak was until a year ago, he could safely say it was now one of his favorite foods, and it was roasted to perfection that evening. After quickly cutting into the meat, he took a large bite and sighed contentedly through his nose. His muscles relaxed, and even if it was only a short while, Keith let himself appreciate this evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, I finally got to write the meeting between Keith and Nazta. I've been looking forward to it forever :'>

**Author's Note:**

> Keith's trying his best


End file.
